Healthier housing developments: City Sanctuary goes to Parliament

Would you accept a hospital that ignored patient outcomes? Then why do we accept homes that ignore resident wellbeing? This question challenges the future of house-building with a focus on healthy housing developments.

A home should be more than just a roof over our head; it’s a sanctuary that nurtures our health and provides the foundation for our lives. For too long, however, the wellbeing of residents has been an afterthought in housing policy.

In July, we were proud to see this issue take centre stage at the launch of the Healthy Homes and Buildings APPG’s Key Messages Report in Parliament. Our co-founder, Alexander Uregian, was in attendance to support the vital mission: to embed health and wellbeing into the very fabric of future housing policy.

The scale of the problem is staggering. Given we spend around 90% of our time indoors, the quality of our homes has a profound impact on our health and wellbeing. Currently, 1 in 10 people in the UK live in poor-quality housing, a crisis that costs the NHS an estimated £1.4 billion every year. The APPG highlights that issues like poor ventilation, air quality, and noise directly harm the health of residents. They believe, rightly, that health and housing are inextricably linked and advocate for a holistic approach where new and retrofitted homes are not just energy-efficient but fundamentally healthy and safe. (Healthy Homes Mission)

The transformative power of a healthy home

Healthy housing developments, where homes are designed with wellbeing as a priority, unlocks huge benefits for society. It leads to:

• Lower healthcare costs, with fewer respiratory illnesses and mental health problems.
• Increased productivity from residents who are better rested and less stressed.
• Improved life chances for children growing up in supportive, healthy environments.

Retrofitting with wellbeing as the measure of success

It was inspiring to hear from David Colbourne, Liverpool City Council and Alexander McWilliam, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who shared lessons from the retrofit of 10,000 homes in Liverpool. Their success was built on a resident-centric model focused on satisfaction and community needs, proving what’s possible when people’s wellbeing is the primary measure of success.

Healthy housing developments from SME developers

This philosophy is at the heart of what we do at City Sanctuary Living. We believe homes should actively improve lives, not just meet minimum standards. That’s why we embed wellbeing into every stage of our process, from initial design briefs to our annual tenant satisfaction surveys. A successful development for us is measured by the long-term health and happiness of the people who call it home.

For us, creating healthy homes requires a holistic view, considering everything from air quality and natural light to fostering a sense of community. 

The APPG’s work is a vital step forward, but the journey is just beginning and we must maintain momentum. We remain committed to championing healthy, resilient homes and believe that by working together, we can create a future where every home is a place where people can truly flourish.