August 05, 2025 - 410 views
Public Health Wales is pushing for closer collaboration between housing and health sectors, aiming to provide safe, affordable homes that promote well-being for families in Wales.
A recent report emphasises the need for quality housing, addressing barriers like poor housing quality and affordability challenges.
Initiatives like the Healthy Homes Healthy People program and trauma-informed housing approach show promise in improving living conditions.
The report draws on insights from a housing futures workshop that Public Health Wales held in November 2024, which brought together nearly 50 experts from Welsh Government, local health boards, the third sector and academia.
The workshop applied futures thinking approaches to identify what needs to change now to build towards a healthier, fairer housing system in Wales — particularly for children and families living in poverty.
Joe Rees, Senior Policy Officer for Public Health Wales said: “Creating healthy homes is not just a housing issue, it's a matter of public health. This report builds on the strong partnerships already in place and sets out a shared vision with emerging priorities for further action.
“We hope it supports and strengthens collaboration across housing, health, planning and policy to create homes that protect and promote the health and wellbeing of families today and in the future.”
The report outlines several major barriers stakeholders identified to healthy housing in Wales, including poor housing quality, affordability challenges, and insecure tenancies. It points to the need to shift to increased availability of quality, affordable housing and raised standards for the private rented sector.
However, the report also identifies current initiatives that stakeholders have shared which offer promise. These include two innovative case studies: the Healthy Homes Healthy People programme by Warm Wales, which supports vulnerable households with energy efficiency and health interventions, and Caredig’s trauma-informed housing approach, which focuses on creating safer, more supportive environments for tenants with lived experience of trauma.
The report also identifies four emerging areas for action to strengthen the provision of healthy housing in Wales. These developments offer a unique opportunity to align efforts across sectors and to turn ambition into tangible improvements.
Every person in Wales should have a home that supports their health and well-being, regardless of income or background. This was the vision shared by the housing and health sectors, emphasising the importance of secure, affordable, well-built, and energy-efficient homes with access to good transport links, services, and green spaces.
Collaboration between the sectors is essential to achieve this common goal of providing stable and healthy living environments for all in Wales.
By focusing on affordable, warm, and secure housing, the report says we can create the right conditions for families to thrive. This approach aims to reduce health disparities and promote well-being through collaborative efforts across different sectors.
