OPINION: Healthy homes and healthy lives require more than just four walls

By John Alexander, Chief Executive of Hillcrest, and Fiona Morrison, Deputy Chief Executive of Hillcrest

When we talk about housing, it’s tempting to focus solely on the bricks and mortar. A secure, warm and affordable home undoubtedly forms the foundations for a household to thrive. However, for many people, housing alone is not enough.

With Scottish Housing Day 2026 reflecting on this year’s theme, “Healthy Homes, Healthy Futures”, it’s the perfect opportunity to broaden the conversation about what a home should provide, and a truly healthy home is about far more than the building itself. It’s about creating an integrated and extensive support system around individuals and families, helping them overcome challenges, achieve stability and build brighter futures.

John Alexander, Hillcrest Chief Executive, said: “We increasingly see housing as part of a wider ecosystem of support. Instead of seeing the provision of a home as an end result, it should actually be seen as the starting point of a tenant’s journey. People may face a range of challenges, such as financial, health, energy bills, social isolation and recovery from substance use, and it’s vital that we have the support available to address them.

“One of the clearest examples is the importance of adapting homes to meet physical needs. Whether it’s installing accessible showers, grab rails, ramps or other specialist adaptations, these modifications can transform a tenant’s life. They allow people to remain independent, stay connected to their communities and continue living in homes they love.”

Yet demand for adaptations continues to grow, particularly as Scotland’s population ages.

Fiona Morrison, Hillcrest Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Greater investment and funding in adaptations would ultimately directly improve lives. It would reduce pressure on health services, free up hospital beds by providing suitable accommodation for people to return to, and deliver a significantly better quality of life for thousands of individuals and families. In some cases, patients cannot be discharged from the hospital simply because there is no suitable housing available for them.”

Financial wellbeing is another essential element of a healthy home, and something that over the recent years’ continuous living cost increases, is more important than ever.

John said: “The reality is that housing costs are only one part of the financial pressures many households face. Especially with living costs increasing, the need for support to maximise incomes, access benefits and grants, and develop confidence in managing household budgets is more important than ever.

“At Hillcrest, we know that helping someone secure additional financial support can be just as impactful as providing a roof over their head. It can reduce stress, improve mental wellbeing and provide much-needed security during difficult periods. Financial wellbeing support should not be viewed as a useful extra – it is a crucial component of sustaining tenancies and creating healthy households.”

“The same is true of energy advice. While energy prices may no longer dominate headlines in the way they did during the height of the cost-of-living crisis, many households continue to struggle with high bills and accumulated debt. Repeated increases to energy price caps in recent years have left many households feeling the strain, and only too often, energy advice remains undervalued and underfunded.

“Energy and financial wellbeing support, through services like Hillcrest Energy Advice Team (HEAT) and Financial Wellbeing Team, is not simply about bills, it’s about improving health outcomes and ensuring that people can live in their homes without fear or anxiety. As a sector, we should be advocating for greater recognition and investment in these services because their social impact value extends far beyond the financial savings alone.”

Equally important is support for people with a variety of challenges.

Fiona said: “Through care and support function, Hillcrest Futures, we work with people with additional support needs, older individuals, and those recovering from substance use. Hillcrest Futures helps people build confidence, develop independence and live better lives while achieving their own personal goals.

“What unites our energy and financial wellbeing advice along with care and support services like Hillcrest Futures, is the recognition that housing and wellbeing are inseparable. Along with home adaptations, these various forms of support are not separate interventions delivered in isolation – they form part of an ever-evolving and deepening ecosystem that responds to the changing needs of individuals throughout their lives.”

Concluding, John said: “The future of housing must be about more than meeting housing needs alone, it must be about having the support network in place to allow households to thrive, regardless of the challenges they face. Healthy homes require integrated support, strong partnerships and continued investment in the services that empower people to live independently and well.

“If we are serious about delivering healthy and supported households, we must first acknowledge that homes are about more than four walls and a roof. They are about people, opportunities and support, and by continuing to build and strengthen these interconnected services, we can help ensure that everyone doesn’t just have somewhere to live, but the foundations they need to thrive.”