Tackling Overheating in Social Housing: Insights from Map Impact

As the climate warms faster than predicted, the risk of overheating in homes, especially in urban areas, is becoming a significant health concern.

In a recent conversation with Richard Flemmings, CEO of Map Impact, Jenny Danson, co-founder of Healthy Homes Hub, delved into this critical issue, exploring the challenges and potential solutions for mitigating overheating in social housing.

Richard started by highlighting the growing concern of overheating due to rising temperatures and the urban heat island effect. "Recent studies show that a fifth of homes in England currently overheat, and one-third are at high risk in the future. Our buildings weren't designed for these increasing temperatures and heatwave events," he explained. This problem is particularly acute in densely populated urban areas where materials like concrete absorb and retain heat longer than green spaces.

Statistics from the Climate Change Committee underscore this issue. According to a report by Arup, about 55% of the UK's housing stock, or 15.7 million homes, would fail the "bedroom overheating" test in the current climate. This indicates a widespread vulnerability to heatwaves across the country​.