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The links between housing and health are well known and understood. Housing quality significantly influences health outcomes in the UK, affecting both physical and mental well-being. Good quality, warm, safe and affordable homes are a pre-condition for good health. In 2021 the Building Research Establishment (BRE), estimated that nationally poor housing is costing the NHS £1.4bn a year. This figure represents the immediate healthcare costs associated with addressing health issues arising from substandard housing, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases linked to dampness and cold.
When considering broader societal impacts, including factors like mental health, reduced educational attainment, and lost productivity—the total cost of poor housing is estimated to be around £18.5 billion per year. (BRE_Report_the_cost_of_poor_housing_2021.pdf.
Improving housing conditions can increase quality of life, prevent disease, reduce poverty, and ultimately save lives.
Click the report tabs to explore more data around Housing in County Durham. Click on the expand button in the bottom right of the box to open in full screen mode
Why is it important?
The relationship between housing conditions and physical health, such as the link between damp homes and respiratory illnesses or cold homes and cardio-vascular disease, are widely recognised. Studies consistently show that damp and mouldy environments contribute to respiratory conditions, particularly in vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Living in cold homes has been associated with higher blood pressure and cardiovascular issues. According to the Building Research Establishment (BRE), poor housing conditions cost the NHS at least £600 million annually, demonstrating the significant economic impact of health problems linked to inadequate housing. The 2019 Marmot Review highlighted that individuals in poorly insulated, damp homes were at increased risk of lung diseases and premature death.
While research on the mental health impacts of housing is still developing, evidence increasingly shows that poor housing conditions contribute to stress, disempowerment, and a loss of control, all of which are linked to mental health outcomes.
We know that unsuitable or poor-quality housing and an absence of housing support can have as much impact on health and wellbeing as illness does. Housing can contribute to health and wellbeing through:
- Promoting independence.
- Preventing accidents, emergencies and admissions to hospital.
- Providing care and support in the right accommodation and in the right places.
The home is the place we grow up and grow old in. It is a hub around which care, family and community support and social relationships are built. Durham needs to have the right balance of safe, healthy and appropriate housing in the right locations to meet its population’s needs.
This strategy identifies the key housing opportunities and challenges facing County Durham in the next five years. The strategy provides the strategic framework to deliver our housing priorities and supports the delivery of the Council Plan and the County Durham Vision.
- The Council Plan sets out the council’s vision and overall priorities and programme of work for the period 2019-2035.
- The County Durham Vision 2035, which was developed together with partner organisations and the public, sets out what we would want the county to look like in 15 years’ time. This vision is structured around three ambitions which are:
- More and better jobs;
- People live long and independent lives; and
- Connected communities.
The combination of housing stock in need of regeneration and a lack of supply of new homes, and new affordable homes, has resulted in a long-term increase in house prices, as well as increasing rents in the private rented sector. This means that owning a home is beyond the reach of many in the UK and private rented accommodation is becoming increasingly expensive for households as demand increases. When people are unable to access suitable housing it can result in overcrowding, more young people living with their parents for longer, impaired labour mobility, which makes it harder for businesses to recruit staff, and increased levels of homelessness.
Older housing stock can also bring with it issues around energy efficiency, adaptability, maintenance, repair and general suitability for housing demands and needs today, and in the future, as some housing stock reaches the end of its useable life.
Key Messages
- County Durham is a largely rural county with almost half the population living in rural areas. In 2021 the County contained 249,520 dwellings, projected to rise to 258,374 by 2043.
- In County Durham, 62.5% of properties are owner-occupied, 20% are socially rented and 17.1% are privately rented. Most dwellings in the county are terraced houses, which at 36% of the stock, is higher than for the North East region and for England.
- In 2022 (latest available data) 11.5% of County Durham households (over 27,500 homes) were estimated to be experiencing fuel poverty, a fall from 15.5% in 2019, (NE: 10.9%; England: 13.1%). Further information on Fuel Poverty in County Durham: see Fuel Poverty In County Durham.
- The Winter Mortality Index score (which is the ratio of excess winter deaths to average non-winter deaths expressed as a percentage) for County Durham for all ages (4.2%) and those aged 85+ (17.1%) was not statistically significantly different to England.
- Housing continues to be more affordable in County Durham than the North East or England. The Housing Affordability Ratio locally for 2023 was 4% (compared to 4.9% for the North East and 8.3% for England.