Inadequate Housing and Health: an overview

Abstract: For many years, the housing environment has been acknowledged as one of the main settings that affect human health. Living and housing conditions are the basis of many factors influencing residential health. To live in an adequate shelter means more than a roof over one’s head: It means to have a home, a place which protects privacy, contributes to physical and psychological well-being, and supports the development and social integration of its inhabitants – a central place for human life. Epidemiological findings suggest strong associations between housing conditions and health effects. This paper explores the relevance of housing conditions as a key factor.