Housing as a social determinant of health and wellbeing in military families

Le résumé fourni par la source

Housing is recognised as a foundational social determinant of health. As conceptualised by Bentley et al. (2025), housing acts as a primary vector for health inequalities through three core pillars: security (tenancy stability, safety nets), affordability, and suitability (structural integrity, crowding, and dampness). Therefore, insecure, unaffordable housing with poor conditions impacts overall quality of life and in particular health outcomes. For the general civilian population, poor housing directly correlates with adverse respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health outcomes. However, the specific impact of housing (including housing type and tenure, conditions, location) on health outcomes within UK military families has not been thoroughly explored. Military families and veterans experience distinct structural housing models and circumstances, such as Service Family Accommodation, Single Living Accommodation, and frequent geographical relocations due to service requirements. Reports, such as Living in our Shoes (Ministry of Defence, 2020) and Homes Unfit for Heroes (The Kerslake Commission on Armed Forces Housing, 2024), have highlighted systemic challenges within UK defense housing. These housing challenges impact more broadly on quality of life and wellbeing due to their role in shaping experiences of social isolation and in mediating access to facilities.

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