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The Race Equality Foundation, FaithAction and the National Housing Federation, in collaboration with the Department of Health, will be holding a free learning event aimed at addressing health inequalities through better housing.

Background:

Over the past 20 years, a growing body of evidence has emerged regarding the negative health effects of living in poor quality housing, which has been estimated to cost the NHS around £600 million per year.  Initiatives aimed at improving the quality of housing have seen significant improvements in social housing.  Increasingly, social landlords are playing an active role in addressing health inequalities through a range of initiatives.  However, significant challenges exist, including the persistence of poorest quality housing in the private rented sector with a range of groups being over-represented in this accommodation, including older people, people with disabilities and people belonging to ethnic minority groups as well as homeless families with children.

The event will:

• Highlight examples of good practice in promoting equality and addressing health inequalities in the provision housing;
• Provide an opportunity for seldom heard voices, including those of tenants, to participate in identifying good practice and agreeing action;
• Identify action and learning that can be taken forward by delegates to improve partnerships and address health inequalities with housing providers at local level;
• Identify lessons that can be shared with the sector and inform national policy and practice; and
• Explore what else can be done to ensure housing providers can work within new health and social care structures to play their part in reducing health inequalities and delivering equality

We will also be launching Better Housing briefing 24, "The Housing Conditions of Minority Ethnic Households in England" (http://www.better-housing.org.uk/briefings) which has been produced for the Race Equality Foundation by BRE.

This briefing looks at the cost of improving poor housing for minority ethnic households, based on new analysis of the English Housing Survey.

For more information, please contact Zoe Gardner ([log in to unmask]) or pre-register on the Eventbrite website (http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/joint-voluntary-sector-learning-event-on-health-and-housing-tickets-9510481105).