Costs and outcomes of improving population health through better social housing: a cohort study and economic analysis

The main aim of this project funded by Gentoo and Nottingham City Home was to understand the impact that warmth-related housing improvements have on the health, well-being, and quality of life of families living in social housing.

228 recruited households in North East England were asked to complete a quality of life, well-being, and health service use questionnaire before receiving housing improvements (new energy-efficient boiler and doubleglazing) and again 12 months afterwards.

Results show from the research that warmth-related housing improvements may be a cost-effective means of improving the health of social housing tenants and reducing health service expenditure, particularly in older populations.