Oxfordshire Housing and Health Needs Assessment: Final Report

This Housing and Health Needs Assessment provides a comprehensive review of how housing interacts with public health in Oxfordshire, and of the relationship between housing conditions and health. Partnering with the UCL Institute of Health Equity to become a Marmot Place, the primary purpose was to inform the selection of appropriate metrics to monitor progress of the Housing ambition in the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2030.

The Assessment draws on baseline data from the 2021 Census, the English Housing Survey and a wide range of official statistics and local data, applying a 10 year benchmark to ensure contemporary relevance. Limitations related to GDPR and limited record keeping across housing, health and social care agencies have affected the availability of local primary data. As a result, the Assessment recommends developing a countywide, integrated data collection approach that combines information from, for example, environmental health, housing and medical records, to inform future service planning and policy.

To ensure that all residents, especially the most vulnerable, can access a healthy and secure home environment, the report calls for a concerted, evidence-based strategy that combines improved data collection, rigorous service monitoring and coordinated interventions by local authorities, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. By addressing these challenges, Oxfordshire could reduce future health demands, lower public spending on health care and housing and foster a more inclusive and resilient community.