Building Healthier Homes: A Conversation with Jenny Danson of the Healthy Homes Hub
In Episode 39 of the "Air Quality Matters" podcast, I spoke with Jenny Danson , founder and CEO of the Healthy Homes Hub , a pioneering organisation focused on improving health in social housing. Jenny shared her vision for healthier living environments and the strategies and technologies needed to make it a reality. Here are the key takeaways from our discussion, which delves into creating healthy homes, leveraging technology, and overcoming the challenges of implementing change in the social housing sector.
Defining a Healthy Home
Jenny opened the discussion by explaining her motivation for launching the Healthy Homes Hub. She emphasised that the idea of a "healthy home" goes beyond just basic shelter; it's about creating environments that foster physical, mental, and social well-being. In the context of social housing, achieving this involves a complex interplay of factors, including proper ventilation, managing humidity and mould, and ensuring that homes are energy efficient.
The Role of Technology in Healthier Homes
One of the central themes of our discussion was the potential of technology to improve housing conditions. Jenny pointed out that many housing providers still manage their properties based on incomplete data or "best guesses." There is a need for a shift from reactive to proactive management, which can be facilitated by leveraging data effectively.
Technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensors, can monitor conditions within homes—like temperature, humidity, and air quality—in real time. However, while the technology exists, its adoption has been slow. Jenny explained that this is partly due to a culture of compliance within the housing sector, which often prioritises adherence to regulations over innovation. Additionally, many organisations are risk-averse and reluctant to invest in new technology without a clear, immediate return on investment.
Despite these challenges, Jenny remains optimistic. She believes that as more organisations begin to see the value of data-driven decision-making, the adoption of technologies like IoT sensors will accelerate. This shift will allow housing providers to anticipate and prevent issues before they become serious problems, ultimately creating healthier homes for residents.
Overcoming Challenges in the Sector
Jenny also addressed the cultural and structural barriers that hinder progress in the social housing sector. Many organisations are bogged down by legacy systems and a compliance-focused mindset that stifles innovation. Moreover, the sector is highly fragmented, with over 1,400 different housing providers in the UK alone, each with its own processes and systems.
To overcome these challenges, Jenny suggests fostering a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Healthy Homes Hub aims to be a platform where housing providers can learn from one another, share best practices, and avoid "reinventing the wheel." Jenny cited the success of the PropTech Innovation Network (PIN), which she led for several years, as an example of how such collaboration can drive positive change.
A Focus on Health as a Key Metric
Another crucial aspect of our conversation was the need to shift the focus from purely financial metrics to include health and well-being outcomes. Currently, housing organisations tend to prioritise metrics like energy efficiency or cost savings. However, Jenny argued that these metrics should be balanced with residents' health and comfort measures.
For example, the Healthy Homes Hub is working on projects like the "Warm Rents Project," which aims to ensure that all rented homes maintain a minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. This approach, which mirrors some European models, focuses on creating comfortable living conditions while also considering energy efficiency and environmental impact.
The Future of Healthy Homes
Looking ahead, Jenny is hopeful that the concept of healthy homes will become more widely adopted across the housing sector. The Healthy Homes Hub plans to continue working with partners to develop and share best practices, influence government policy, and expand the focus on health and well-being in both social and private rented sectors.
A key initiative in this effort is "Housing Sage," an AI-driven platform that will curate and share best practices from across the sector. By providing a centralised resource for knowledge and expertise, Housing Sage aims to help organisations large and small deliver healthier homes more effectively and efficiently.
The conversation with Jenny highlighted the urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we think about housing. As we move towards achieving net zero and address the challenges posed by climate change and public health, it is crucial to put health at the heart of our housing strategies.
The Healthy Homes Hub is poised to lead this change by promoting collaboration, innovation, and a focus on residents' well-being. For social landlords, housing providers, and policymakers, the message is clear: the time to act is now, and the tools and knowledge needed to create healthier homes are already within our grasp.
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