Why this conference?
Extreme events - including heatwaves, flooding, droughts, wild-fires, tsunamis, tornadoes and earthquakes – are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. These events damage and destroy homes and communities causing physical, mental and financial suffering.
What will the conference cover?
This conference will look at the support victims and communities need post-event; how housing can be replaced; how existing housing can be adapted and new housing designed and constructed to build resilience into housing and neighbourhoods and protect mental, physical and social health.
What approach will we take?
Our approach focuses on housing as a prime protector of health, supporting feelings of safety and well-being and creating a sense of home. We want to exchange reactions to dealing with the aftermath of extreme events; extend the knowledge base linking people’s health and wellbeing. We want to provide a forum for sharing international experience, approaches and case studies which include preventive/protective solutions to avoid problems in the future. We want the conference to enable an international network of professionals, academics, organisations and bodies to develop.
Who should attend?
Individuals and bodies directly and indirectly involved in housing and health, and in predicting and responding to all forms of extreme events, including housing professionals; medical doctors; public health professionals; sociologists; meteorologists and first responders.
Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers to date include:
Dr David Jacobs
Chief Scientist, US National Center for Healthy Housing
Dr Nathalie Roebbel
Lead on Urban Health, World Health Organization
Professor Caradee Wright
Chief Specialist Scientist: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council
Dr Angie Bone
Associate Professor of Practice, Planetary Health, Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Professor Taibat Lawanson
Professor of Urban Management and Governance, University of Lagos
Dr Michael Agenbag
Senior Lecturer/Community Service Co-ordinator (Environmental Health), Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Dr Marilyn Black
Vice President and Senior Technical Advisor, Chemical Insights Research Institute, Underwriters Laboratories
How will the conference be organised?
This will be a recorded on-line event leading to the production of a conference report. It will consist of a half day session setting out the conference ambitions; a full day of good practice presentations and thematic workshops and a final half day summarising what have we have learnt and still need to learn.
Conference organisers
The conference is being organised by the Healthier Housing Partnership, an independent partnership of academics, housing, environmental health and regeneration practitioners and housing and health researchers formed in 2015. Our aims are to promote healthier housing and raise the standard of existing and new housing to achieve wider social benefits. Further information is available here: https://www.healthierhousing.co.uk/