This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Children living in houses improved through the Healthy Homes Initiative were found to be 30% less likely to be hospitalized in the following five years, according to research led by the University of Otago, Wellington—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke. The researchers analyzed hospitalization data for more than 17,000 children ages 2 to 18 whose families were enrolled in the Healthy Homes Initiative from 2014 to 2023.
Their modeling showed there were 2,800 fewer hospital admissions for the children in the program over the five-year follow-up period than there would have been otherwise. The research was conducted by the university in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. Their findings are published in Social Science & Medicine.
The Healthy Homes Initiative is funded by the central government to improve health outcomes for children in low-income families who are at risk of developing housing-related illnesses. The program is delivered by community providers, who assist families with heating, insulation, curtains and bedding for their homes. Lead researcher Ellie Johnson, a research fellow in the Department of Public Health, says there are an estimated 27,000 hospitalizations among children in New Zealand every year from preventable conditions linked to poor housing.
Māori and Pacific children are particularly at risk of illnesses such as pneumonia, chest infections, rheumatic fever and skin infections. "Each year, 82,000 people are hospitalized and 230 people die from conditions associated with housing, including exposure to dampness, mold, cold and overcrowding. "By investing in improving New Zealand's aging housing stock, we are giving kids a better—and healthier—start in life." She says the research shows the importance of having community organizations working in partnership with the government to improve child health outcomes.
"The success of the Healthy Homes Initiative is based on the providers having close connections to their communities, including through Māori and Pacific leaders, as well as on a supportive policy environment. "Community-led interventions such as the Healthy Homes Initiative can have a significant impact on health outcomes and contribute to the wider public good when they are given sustained government and philanthropic support." This latest research follows a five-year evaluation of the Healthy Homes Initiative prepared by the university in partnership with Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora, published in 2024. That report found the program was saving the government a significant amount of money, providing a five-year return on investment of 507%, with $5.07 in health savings for every $1 spent by Health NZ.
Johnson says while the Healthy Homes Initiative is a good way to improve New Zealand's housing stock, the government also needs to invest more by increasing the proportion of publicly funded, affordable public and community housing, which is low in relation to other OECD countries. Ellie Johnson et al, Impact of housing improvements on childhood hospitalization rates in a large cohort of low-income families in New Zealand, Social Science & Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119694 Journal information: Social Science & Medicine BSc Life Sciences & Ecology.
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