The English Housing Survey (2023–24) found that 39% of households include someone with a health condition — and many of those conditions are linked to poor housing. That’s not a coincidence.

For decades, we’ve treated housing as bricks, mortar, and numbers on a spreadsheet. But the truth is simpler, and far more urgent:

homes are not neutral spaces. They either support our wellbeing — or they slowly wear us down.

Homes That Heal vs. Homes That Harm - Think about the difference between:

• A damp, poorly ventilated flat where mould triggers asthma.

• A bright, well-insulated home where fresh air and natural light make it easier to breathe and rest.

One drains health. The other restores it. The same walls that keep out the rain can either protect or undermine our bodies and minds.

This is why we need a culture shift in how we talk about housing and design.

For homeowners:
You don’t need a full renovation to create a healthier space. Simple choices — like improving ventilation, choosing low-VOC paints, bringing in plants, or making time to declutter — can transform how your home feels.

For designers:
Every project is an opportunity to embed wellbeing. It’s about more than aesthetics; it’s about daylight, air quality, acoustics, connection to nature, and how a space supports the people living or working there. Design decisions can either relieve stress or amplify it.

For policy makers:
We urgently need standards that recognise health as fundamental. — from minimum space requirements to limits on noise and damp. Because health should never be optional in housing policy.

At present, “healthy homes” are seen as an aspiration, a bonus, or even a luxury. But when nearly 4 in 10 households are already living with a health condition, it’s clear we can’t afford to treat this as a niche concern.

Healthy spaces should be the new standard — not the exception.

Join the Movement

Whether you’re a homeowner making small changes, a designer embedding wellbeing, or a policymaker shaping the future — you are part of this culture shift.

Let’s create homes and buildings that help people heal, not harm.
Let’s set wellbeing as the measure of good design.
Let’s join the movement for healing buildings.