Housing is an important social determinant of health, with increasing relevance in light of global trends like urbanization, demographic and climate changes. Healthy housing is shelter that supports a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
Social disparities translate into health inequity through the exposure to poor housing conditions. Across the globe, people with a low-income are more likely to live in unsafe, structurally deficient or overcrowded housing that exposes them to increased health risks like injuries, infectious and non-communicable diseases. An increased health burden caused by unhealthy housing conditions such as excess cold or overcrowding, in turn negatively affects socioeconomic outcomes including decreased educational attainment or income generation due to higher absenteeism from school or work.
Vulnerable populations including children, older people and people with disabilities tend to spend more time at home and are hence more susceptible to health risks posed by inadequate housing. Socioeconomic factors further influence whether residents are able to afford and maintain safe and healthy housing. Maintenance costs relate, for instance, to the purchase of electricity or fuels for cooking, heating and lighting.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates exiting social and health inequalities. People suffering from poor housing conditions are ever more exposed to associated health risks given the global pandemic response recommendation to stay at home as much as possible. Income loss due to the pandemic puts millions of people at risk of becoming homeless and not being able to afford fuel or electricity.
A WHO webinar on housing as a social determinant of health inequity was held on 28 January 2021. The webinar aimed to:
- explain the different social pathways through which housing affects health;
- illustrate the physical and mental health outcomes worsened by social inequalities; and
- provide solutions at individual and policy level to improve people’s housing situation.