Children living in houses which have been improved through the Healthy Homes Initiative have been found to be 30 per cent less likely to be hospitalised in the five years afterwards, according to research led by the University of Otago, Wellington – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke.
The researchers analysed hospitalisation data for more than 17,000 children between the ages of two and 18, whose families were enrolled in the Healthy Homes Initiative from 2014 to 2023. Their modelling showed there were 2,800 fewer admissions to hospital for the children in the programme over the five-year follow-up-period than there would have been otherwise.
Ellie Johnson
The research was conducted by the University in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. Their findings are published in the international journal, Social Science & Medicine.
The Healthy Homes Initiative is funded by central government to improve health outcomes for children in low-income families who are at risk of developing housing-related illnesses. The programme 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 hospitalisations 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 hospitalised and 230 people die from conditions associated with housing, including exposure to dampness, mould, 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 organisations 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 to 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 programme was saving the Government a significant amount of money, providing a five-year return on investment of 507 per cent, with $5.07 in health savings for every $1 spent by Health NZ.
Ms 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.
The researchers acknowledge the whānau and community providers who participated in, and supported, the research.
The research paper, ‘Impact of housing improvements on childhood hospitalization rates in a large cohort of low-income families in New Zealand’ is published in the international journal Social Science & Medicine and can be read here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119694
University of Otago, Wellington
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