76 research outputs found
Policy changes: Kiribati migration and settlement
This article examines how policy changes at a range of levels could improve decision making by and initial settlement outcomes for Kiribati migrants, a relatively new migrant group to New Zealand
Cold New Zealand Council Housing Getting an Upgrade
As people spend most of their time at home, residential thermal conditions are important. Central government debate about minimum temperature requirements for rental properties requires an evidence base of indoor temperature data. We collected temperature, humidity and energy data from 49 council housing dwellings in Wellington over winter, and self-reported thermal comfort and heating behaviour. Mean indoor temperature was 14.9°C, colder than the national average, with 67% of readings under 16°C, which the World Health Organization associates with health implications. With New Zealand’s high rate of excess winter mortality and children hospitalised for housing-related diseases, cold housing should be addressed
Assessing housing quality and its impact on health, safety and sustainability
Background The adverse health and environmental
effects of poor housing quality are well established. A
central requirement for evidence-based policies and
programmes to improve housing standards is a valid,
reliable and practical way of measuring housing quality
that is supported by policy agencies, the housing sector,
researchers and the public.
Methods This paper provides guidance on the
development of housing quality-assessment tools that
link practical measures of housing conditions to their
effects on health, safety and sustainability, with
particular reference to tools developed in New Zealand
and England.
Results The authors describe how information on
housing quality can support individuals, agencies and the
private sector to make worthwhile improvements to the
health, safety and sustainability of housing. The
information gathered and the resultant tools developed
should be guided by the multiple purposes and end users
of this information. Other important issues outlined
include deciding on the scope, detailed content, practical
administration issues and how the information will be
analysed and summarised for its intended end users.
There are likely to be considerable benefits from
increased international collaboration and standardisation
of approaches to measuring housing hazards. At the
same time, these assessment approaches need to
consider local factors such as climate, geography,
culture, predominating building practices, important
housing-related health issues and existing building
codes.
Conclusions An effective housing quality-assessment
tool has a central role in supporting improvements to
housing. The issues discussed in this paper are designed
to motivate and assist the development of such tools
Cost benefit analysis of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme
This report summarises the results of an analysis of the costs and benefits of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme. Under the programme, subsidies are provided towards the costs of retrofitting insulation and/or installing clean heating for pre-2000 houses. The benefits that are included in this report are analysed in more detail in three separate papers produced as part of this study that assess the impacts on energy use, health outcomes and producer surpluses, with additional data on employment. The costs of the programme are also assessed in this report and include the costs of the additional insulation and clean heating plus the administrative costs falling on the government. The overall results suggest that the programme as a whole has had sizeable net benefits, with our central estimate of programme benefits being almost five times resource costs attributable to the programme
Effects of improved home heating on asthma in community dwelling children: randomised controlled trial
Objective To assess whether non-polluting, more effective home heating (heat pump, wood pellet burner, flued gas) has a positive effect on the health of children with asthma
COVID-19 reveals the systemic nature of urban health globally
Statement by the scientific committee* of the International Science Council’s Programme on Urban Health and Wellbeing, on critical elements of urban health action in response to the epidemic
Tackling health inequalities: moving theory to action
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
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