The quality of our homes affects our wellbeing. Cold or damp conditions can harm health, while overheating and poor ventilation create further risks. However, retrofit policy and delivery often focus on technical performance and energy use.
Health, Place, and Retrofit: Findings and Recommendations for Change explores how retrofit can respond more effectively to people’s everyday experiences.
The paper argues that retrofit must address emissions reduction and fuel poverty alongside community priorities. It also calls for communities to help decide which outcomes matter and how to assess progress.
Understanding the difference retrofit makes
The paper examines the limits of relying on predicted performance. It calls for stronger monitoring of homes after improvements, so delivery teams can understand what changes in practice.
For example, energy data alone cannot explain whether residents feel more comfortable or experience better wellbeing. Listening to residents alongside measuring building performance gives a fuller picture.
The paper sets out some key recommendations, including:
Broaden how success in retrofit is defined, so health, comfort, and lived experience are valued alongside energy and carbon performance.
Measure real world outcomes, not just predictions, by embedding post intervention monitoring to understand how homes actually perform once work is complete.
Support communities to shape and assess outcomes, including through place-based approaches such as Community Health Impact Assessments.
Read the full report below or download a copy to explore the findings and recommendations.
Using the findings in your work
Use this paper to start a conversation with partners about what successful retrofit means for your community.
Consider what you already measure and whose experiences inform your decisions. Then identify any gaps. For example, do you know how residents experience their homes after improvements, or does your evaluation end when installation finishes?
The findings can help inform discussions about programme design and evaluation. They also offer a starting point for involving communities earlier in decisions.
Frequently asked questions
What are health outcomes in retrofit?
Health outcomes describe changes in people’s health and wellbeing following improvements to their homes. Evaluating these outcomes helps organisations understand whether work makes a difference to residents’ lives, alongside changes in energy use.
Why involve communities in retrofit decisions?
Residents understand how their homes work in everyday life. Their experiences help delivery teams identify priorities and understand problems that building data alone might miss. Involving communities also gives people a meaningful role in decisions affecting their homes.
Why measure homes after retrofit?
Predicted performance estimates what an improvement should achieve. Monitoring after installation helps establish what happens in practice. Combining measurements with residents’ feedback gives delivery teams better evidence about the results.
What is a Community Health Impact Assessment?
A Community Health Impact Assessment helps explore how a project or decision might affect a community’s health and wellbeing. It brings community knowledge into the assessment, helping organisations consider local priorities when planning improvements.
