How local housing can unlock lasting health and care.

Purpose – This paper seeks to suggest that social housing can and should be the local hub for cost-effective, human-scale health and wellbeing. It aims to explore the way that community-based housing providers can help health and social care services to deliver long-term wellbeing. Design/methodology/approach – The argument is illustrated with examples of constructive practice drawn from membership of the PlaceShapers Group of housing associations, across different parts of England. Findings – Localism and promotion of public health lie at the roots of social housing, dating back more than 150 years. Because of their physical stake and presence in communities, social landlords are able to offer combined homes and support in a way and on a scale that few private operators can match. So social housing providers are in a prime position to add value and recast the relationship between health, wellbeing, social care and housing. But social housing organisations and their leaders will need to be highly inventive, enterprising and determined to reap the full rewards for service users and neighbourhoods. Practical implications – Changes to the health, wellbeing and social care landscape, coming into effect in England and Wales from April 2013, present a unique opportunity to bridge the "parallel worlds" of housing and health. Local housing providers now have the chance to bond their long-term presence, commitment and investment in communities to the new outcomes required for health and social care. Originality/value – The lead author is chair of a grouping of community-based housing associations working throughout England and is especially well placed to identify examples of innovative practice, such as those described in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]