Housing

Adequate housing is a basic human need. It is also fundamental to the wellbeing of individuals. Adequate housing is housing that is affordable, suitable, habitable, secure in tenure and free from crowding and discrimination. (This is the definition provided by Denise Brown as part of the social well-being framework) . Housing provides individuals with a place where they can retreat from the world, entertain their family and friends and undertake leisure activities. It offers privacy, a place to eat and sleep, and a place where they can keep their possessions.

Those without a home or living in inadequate accommodation are more vulnerable and less able to participate in the wider community. For example, people on low incomes who spend a high proportion of their income on housing can face financial difficulty and may struggle to meet other basic costs such as food, clothing, transport, medical care and education. Similarly, housing which is in poor physical condition (eg poorly ventilated or crowded) can create problems that adversely affect the education and health of individuals.

Housing is often used as a measure of individual social status and success, based on criteria such as size, value, design and location. For some people, it is a means by which they can express their self-identity, through for example decorating, furnishing and renovating their homes.