The fact that poor housing is bad for your health is not a new discovery. Every sociology student (including myself many years ago) will know that squalid and overcrowded living conditions and the spread of diseases like cholera led to the introduction of legislation in the 1840s – providing the foundations for housing standards and wider public health interventions.

Of course, Aneurin Bevan is most well known as an architect of the National Health Service. But perhaps less well known is that his title was the minister for health and housing. He understood the value of investing in good quality homes, increasing space standards and removing restrictions on who could access council housing. He recognised that good health begins at home.

The Covid-19 pandemic may seem like a distant memory, but we’re still feeling the impact from it socially and economically. While “stay at home” advice applied to everyone, the home you had to stay in would be a significant determinant of how badly your physical or mental health would suffer.

While I think at an individual level we all know that our homes have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing, I often wonder why we don’t seem to be making the strategic links at a national level?

We’re facing an ageing population, a health service that’s creaking at the seams and, according to Audit Scotland, a £5 billion shortfall in funding for public services by 2030. The answer to all of these challenges is obvious to me – invest in housing and housing services and we’ll improve health and wellbeing, tackle inequality and save money in the longer-term.

It sounds simple enough, but we also know that change is difficult. We know that while money is tight and services are focused on managing crises, it’s even more difficult to turn things around. That’s why we need you to help us make the case for treating housing as a public health issue. For better partnership working and more investment.

This Scottish Housing Day, the theme is “healthy homes, healthy futures” and we want to highlight all of the ways in which housing and housing services contribute to the health and wellbeing of tenants and residents and how housing practitioners are supported too.

We are gathering examples to share online and for a report to be published on Scottish Housing Day on 16 September. If your organisation has a project that supports good health, please get in touch to share the details. The list below is not exhaustive, but examples could include:

• Homes designed or adapted to meet needs
• Housing support services helping people to live independently 
• Technology enabled care 
• Tenancy sustainment and income maximisation 
• Homelessness prevention 
• Tackling loneliness and social isolation 
• Staff wellbeing initiatives 
• Testimony from residents

Email scotland@cih.org to share your examples of how housing improves health outcomes.

You can also take part by filling out one of our short online surveys for housing practitioners or tenants and residents. 

Scottish Housing Day is a joint campaign delivered by partners across the housing sector, third sector, private sector and supported by the Scottish Government. Find out more on the Scottish Housing Day website.