3. Housing inequalities

Shelter and housing are basic human rights and foundations for health and well-being. Housing conditions affect everyone and provide the physical and social settings where individuals and families spend most of their time.

Adequate housing conditions are especially relevant for vulnerable population groups that already suffer from health problems and diseases, and therefore need a safe and healthy place to live that does not provide further stress and health risks. The same applies to children and elderly people, who may not have the capacities to cope with inadequate housing conditions.

At the same time, housing is often a challenge for households with social disadvantages which, owing to lower financial resources, often live in a country’s low-quality housing segment. This may be associated with less adequate living conditions in terms of building quality, equipment and amenities, thermal efficiency and floor space.

Housing conditions and exposure to housingspecific health risks are not only high priorities for public health; they are also high priorities for health equity and environmental justice because of their profound impact on people’s everyday lives. This section provides an overview of health-relevant inequalities in housing conditions, focusing on the physical features and performance of the residential dwelling, through five indicators:

• inequalities in lack of a flush toilet in the dwelling; • inequalities in lack of a bath or shower in the dwelling; • inequalities in overcrowding; • inequalities in dampness in the home; • inequalities in inability to keep the home adequately warm; and • inequalities in inability to keep the home adequately cool in summer.

Unfortunately, many of these indicators cannot be reflected for countries in the eastern part of the WHO European Region, where equity-sensitive data on housing conditions could not be identified from international databases.