The social impact of poor-quality housing Aerial view of a township in South Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) is clear about the subject. Living in sub-standard accommodation can have detrimental psychological consequences including anxiety, depression and loss of self-esteem... The organization attributes 130,000 deaths every year in Europe to inadequate housing conditions. The University of California, Berkeley has also established that living in unhealthy housing with dampness and mold leads to a 50% increase in the risk of developing asthma, allergies or infections And that’s not all. Poor acoustics in a home can disturb sleeping patterns, cause fatigue and stress and reduce learning ability. In the longer term, noise disturbances can also lead to hormonal irregularities, high blood pressure and a significantly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the WHO has concluded. The organization estimates that people in Western Europe lose around 61,000 years of healthy life every year. An estimated one sixth of the world’s population struggles to keep a roof over its head. In the countries of the southern hemisphere, the problem is even more acute: 597 million Asians and 238 million Africans face a shortage of housing. Many live in homes that are unsafe, unstable, and even unhealthy – without running water, sewage systems, electricity or access to public transport. This can lead to social problems, adding to the health and environmental issues already created by the poor-quality buildings. This cost is an additional burden on the community. © EyeEm/Tim Wege 18 SAINT-GOBAIN
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