Public health and social housing: a natural alliance

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to comment on current evolving UK policy in public health and social housing; and especially to outline “blind spots” in conventional health research approaches that have tended to obscure the evidence and potential in collaborative working.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper summarises policy developments, in the light of recent relevant research. Mental health is used as an example.

Findings

Public health policy in the UK is new and rapidly developing; but the evidence base remains scattered across different disciplines and their various disparate communication channels. Any new public health strategy focussed on health inequalities needs to recognise the role that social housing already plays in supporting concentrations of the more vulnerable. Better recognition of the everyday social and especially mental health problems that social housing staff deal with illustrates the central role of housing management as the defining factor in social housing, and the potential for partnerships with public health.

Originality/value

This paper offers a contemporary overview and comment; but it also introduces to the readership recent research findings that shed new light upon the potential in closer alignment of public health and social housing management practice.

Citation

Johnson, R. (2011), "Public health and social housing: a natural alliance", Housing, Care and Support, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/14608791111170238