HEHTA have been successful in their bid for a new research grant which will see their remit of research broadened into the field of housing and health outcomes. The research proposal, titled “Housing Quality and Health - a Cost Consequence Analysis”, has been funded jointly by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and Public Health Scotland (PHS) and sets out to develop an economic case for the investment of good quality housing that delivers better health and wellbeing outcomes for occupants.  The award comes as part of wider commitments made by SFT and PHS to help evaluate the impacts of good quality housing in Scotland across 2024 and 2025. 

The research is a 6-month collaboration between HEHTA and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), both at the University of Glasgow, with HEHTA’s Professor Kathleen Boyd leading the group as Principal Investigator in collaboration with Ken Gibb, Professor of Housing Economics. Using her extensive experience in economic evaluation of complex interventions, Kathleen will contribute to the body of knowledge by evidencing value for money on health and social care investments and policies by leading on the work packages utilising evidence synthesis, cost-consequences analysis, and future economic evaluation.  

Kathleen Boyd, Professor of Health Economics at HEHTA, Director of Research for School Health & Wellbeing, and PI for the project, said “It is essential that we understand the potential impacts when making the public policy case for further investment in housing, particularly social and affordable housing, at a time when public resources are limited.” 

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for HEHTA, as it not only allows us to contribute new evidence to this important debate, and supports our ambitions of growth into new, wider research contexts, but also fosters a new collaboration with our colleagues at CaCHE. We hope that this project offers the opportunity for further research into housing and health outcomes in Scotland and the UK.” 

First published: 6 November 2024

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