Housing and homelessness
Warm, healthy, and energy efficient homes
Living in a cold home is bad for health and increases likelihood of mould growth. It is also a key social determinant of health, with those from a lower socioeconomic background more likely to live in non-decent housing and be in fuel poverty.
A rapid evidence review on the effect of home energy efficiency improvements (boiler repair/replacement and insulation) on physical and mental health helped secure funding for the Council’s Affordable Warmth service and informed its delivery.
We now need to understand more about barriers to home energy efficiency improvements, and their impact on health, to reduce these barriers for local communities. HDRC collaborators including members of our Public Voice Group have been working on getting research funding to do this important work. We have made a start in this work through the following rapid literature review. Report | Evidence on barriers to uptake of funding schemes for retrofitting/energy efficiency improvements to housing
Health and Homelessness
Coventry’s co-produced Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy includes priorities of early intervention and prevention, crisis and targeted support, move on and tenancy sustainment, and eliminating rough sleeping
Dr Jenny Harlock, an Associate Professor from University of Warwick, has been collaborating with Coventry City Council’s housing and homelessness team. Read more about this work here (link to news article about the workshop). Work is ongoing to build on the workshop and improve what we know about preventing homelessness and supporting people who have experienced homelessness.