Housing and Health
One of the key principles underpinning our Local Housing Strategy (LHS) is the critical link between housing, health and wellbeing.
Housing has a key role to play in improving health and wellbeing with regards to housing quality, fuel poverty, homelessness, the role of housing in community life and place-making.
For the following groups, joint-working with Health and Social Care is required to ensure specialist housing promotes positive health and wellbeing;
- Older people (including those with dementia)
- People with Mental Health Problems
- People with Autism
- People with Learning Disabilities
- Individuals at risk of Domestic Abuse and other forms of Gender Based Violence
- People with a Conviction
- Refugees and Asylum Seekers
- Gypsy/Travellers
- Travelling Show People
- Care Leavers
- People with a Physical Disability
- Armed Forces Community
Legislation
The Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Act 2014 requires all Health and Social Care Strategic Plans to include a Housing Contribution Statement. This sets out how the Health and Social Care Partnership intends to work with housing services to deliver it's outcomes.
The Scottish Government requires all Local Housing Strategies to include an Equality Impact Assessment within their LHS. This includes a Health Impact Assessment to ensure the principle of health and wellbeing is valued and underpins all aspects of the Local Housing Strategy.
Strategic Action
Taking into account both local and national contexts detailed above, detailed actions, targets and milestones to improve health and wellbeing, support independent living through specialist housing and promote positive health outcomes for the most vulnerable in society can be found within Appendix 3: Action Plan of our Local Housing Strategy.