Housing conditions as a key focus for public health equity action

This webinar is presented by the National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health (NCCDH) in partnership with RentSafe, the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA), and the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment. 

Housing is a determinant of health and a human right. Yet, for many people, their living conditions jeopardize their health and well-being. Renters with low-income disproportionately experience inadequate rental housing that increases their exposure to health hazards including mould, pollutants in air and water, and temperature extremes. Unhealthy housing conditions and lack of available housing that is affordable and adequate  contributes to a cumulative burden of health inequities.  

RentSafe (an initiative of the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment) and the Ontario Public Health Association conducted a survey of public health units in Ontario to understand their approaches to address housing habitability concerns, engage people with lived/grounded expertise of housing inequities, collaborate across sectors, and engage in policy and advocacy.  Researchers worked with the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health to co-create the report, Toward a Safe and Healthy Place to call home: Summary of results and implications from a survey of public health practices on healthy housing in Ontario, which offers an overview of survey results, background on housing as a public health issue, and practical examples relevant to the work of staff across public health programs.   

Presented in English with simultaneous French interpretation. 

This webinar will:

• Present the findings in this report

• Explore opportunities to center the voices of tenants to advance healthy rental housing

• Present a framework for improving health equity will be presented, including recommended actions to address housing conditions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Situate healthy housing as a determinant of health and therefore, work to address housing conditions as an essential public health function.  
2. Describe current public health practices to address unhealthy housing conditions  
3. Propose and discuss opportunities for public health action to engage in intersectoral collaboration to advance health equity through housing.