A bill that transforms the regulation of the built environment to ensure that new homes and neighbourhoods support their residents’ health and wellbeing.
The current regulatory and policy context is weak and overly complex, with inadequate resourcing and enforcement. We have seen too many new homes being built that i) fail to protect people from harm, and ii) are not the good quality and genuinely affordable homes that are so urgently needed for people to thrive. Unaffordable, poor quality and poorly located homes are imposing huge costs both to individuals and to wider society. This is unacceptable in the 21st century.
The Healthy Homes Bill will create a clear standard and level playing field for all new homes. It will help to increase certainty about the degree of scrutiny and enforcement required for new housing quality.
The Bill contains a clear legal duty on the Secretary of State to ensure Healthy Homes are being delivered. It sets out a clear definition of the meaning of “healthy homes” by outlining eleven principles and an additional duty to plan for affordable housing needs. It will create a Healthy Homes Commissioner responsible to secure the delivery of good quality homes throughout the sector.
We are calling for the Bill to be adopted either directly as an Act or as an amendment to the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. See the link below to view the Healthy Homes Bill / proposed amendment to Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
This bill is part of the Campaign for Healthy Homes.
You can support the campaign and sign up to the Healthy Homes Pledge here.
