Public Health Wales is highlighting opportunities for closer collaboration between the health and housing sectors, to help ensure all families in Wales can live in homes that protect and promote their health and well-being.

A new report published today; Shaping the future of healthy housing for children and families in Wales: A Summary of stakeholder engagement, shares a vision for the future of housing in Wales, one where homes are safe, secure, affordable, and support children and families to thrive.

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. Guest speakers included representatives from Welsh Government, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Tai Pawb.

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.