Healthy homes
Houses that are warm, dry and well-ventilated help to keep us healthy and well.
How homes affect your health
Your health is affected by your home. How it affects your health includes:
- where it is
- how well it is built
- how warm, dry, well insulated and well-ventilated it is
- how many people live in it
- how much it costs you to live there.
Cold and damp houses can cause illness such as asthma and serious chest infections. Overcrowded homes are linked to the spread of infectious diseases such as rheumatic fever.
Tips to help keep your home warm and healthy
- Insulate your home to keep it cool in summer and warmer and drier in winter.
- Draught-proof all windows and doors.
- Put a moisture barrier under your house if you can.
- Put lids on pots when cooking.
- Open windows in the bathroom and kitchen or use extractor fans to remove steam.
- Dry clothes outside.
- Open windows on fine days to let air through, and to reduce mould and dampness.
- Close curtains before it gets dark to keep the heat in — curtains are better than blinds.
- Avoid using portable or unflued indoor gas heaters as it increases moisture and releases toxins.
- Remove mould using a cloth or sponge and household bleach (1-part bleach to 9-parts water).
The Healthy Homes Initiative
You may be eligible for financial and practical assistance to make your home healthier. The Healthy Homes Initiative helps create warm, dry and healthy homes for:
- pregnant people
- low-income whānau with tamariki aged between 0 and 5 who have been hospitalised with a specified housing-related condition
- whānau on a benefit
- people that have, or at risk of catching, rheumatic fever.
Healthy homes — Health New Zealand (external link)
The role of public health
Public health supports other agencies with advice and information about housing quality. They also provide assessments on housing issues related to disease and illness.