In October, Homes England published a new Healthy Homes Standard for use by the public body, its development partners and design consultants. The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) broadly welcomes the new standard, but as noted by our colleagues at TCPA, believe it presents something of a missed opportunity.
We note the inclusion of efficiency and comfort objectives aimed at supporting healthy and sustainable homes. We are pleased to see the standards core requirements on accessibility and inclusivity, as well as several aspects of the standard that are relevant to the work of the GHA, with our Overheating in New Homes Guidance referenced in chapter 7, ‘Comfort’ (reference 19).
The issue of overheating is addressed in the standard by requiring modelling and compliance with relevant regulations, with passive measures such as shading recommended, on which the GHA has published a design guide. Guidance documents and toolkits produced by the GHA on overheating are also available for both new build and retrofit homes.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential for a healthy home, with the standard’s good practice enhancement including Passivhaus standard MVHR. Following the introduction of Awaab’s law and increased attention to IAQ, the GHA highlights its work in this area, most recently including a webinar on damp and mould, our 2020 healthy homes series and comprehensive reports in the 2010s on ventilation and good indoor air quality in low energy homes.
For water consumption, the standard requires compliance with Part G, which is currently under review through an open consultation. The GHA is hosting a workshop with its members on this topic on 24/11 to help form a response, building upon the best practice guidance and recommendations in our recently launched Water Efficiency and Reuse in Housing Design Guide.
The standard specifies that homes should achieve an EPC A rating. Whilst we recognise that the EPC system has limitations, this requirement is positive within the current regulatory framework. It also good to see that it sets a good practice enhancement of a maximum space heating demand of 15 kilowatt-hours per metre² per year or a peak heating load of 10 watts per metre², following the ambitious Passivhaus standard benchmarks.
Although not directly a health and wellbeing issue, we welcome the requirement for a whole life carbon assessment (see our Early Stage Embodied Carbon Tool delivered for Woodknowledge Wales). Low embodied carbon products such as timber and natural materials can provide a wide range of co-benefits for homeowners and tenants, with studies from timber healthcare and education settings showing better user satisfaction, indoor air quality and occupant comfort.
While the Healthy Homes Standard generally aligns with existing statutory requirements, it is positive to see some uplift and a number of good practice enhancements. This standard is a good starting point, and GHA will be exploring these issues more as we push on with our healthy homes theme into 2026. We are currently looking for funding support to help us develop detailed guidance on delivering healthy new and existing homes, alongside our partners at the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and the Healthy Homes Hub.
We welcome others working on healthy homes to get in touch about how to support and disseminate best practice. Speak with Richard Broad (richard@goodhomes.org.uk) or Laura Broderick (laura@goodhomes.org.uk).