Housing conditions and Health; Assessment of Housing Conditions; Housing Standards; Formulation of Housing Standards

Professorial fellow.

Current work includes collaboration with Dr Véronique Ezratty MD (Medical Studies Department, EDF, France), on studies into Health, Energy, and Energy Precariousness in France and England, in particular, the cost to French society attributable to energy inefficient dwellings and energy vulnerability.

Currently, member of the World Health Organization Working Group developing Healthy Housing Guidelines. Member of the Working Group for the National Healthy Housing Standard, published in 2015 by the American Public Health Association and the National Center for Healthy Housing.

In 2012, advisor to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) on a project to develop a methodology to compare the one-off cost of mitigating housing hazards with the estimated annual cost saving to the health sector in England - Real Cost of Poor Housing. Also advisor to BRE on production of a Guide and an Assessment Protocol on Overheating in Dwellings published in 2015.

From 1992 to 1998, involved in studies for UK government into controls on minimum standards in housing and the health impact of housing conditions. Responsible to the UK government for the projects to develop the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which was adopted as the statutory method for assessing housing conditions in England and Wales in 2006. Developed training courses for local authority officers on the use of the HHSRS.

Responsible to UK government for projects to produce an Approved Code of Practice for Management Standards in Multi-Occupied Buildings, and for the production of Housing Disrepair Legal Obligations: Good Practice Guide.

In 2010, the US Department for Housing and Urban Development adopted the HHSRS (unchanged, other than being renamed the Healthy Homes Rating System, HHRS), and required its use by all housing related projects awarded grants by HUD. Commissioned by HUD to train potential users of the US HHRS.

Member of the Scientific Committee of the US National Center for Health Housing. Adviser to Wayne State University, Detroit, on a study into the application of the US HHRS in three US States.

Work for the World Health Organization between 2000 and 2010 included membership of the Task Force on Health and Housing (which monitored and advised on the LARES project (a study of housing conditions and health in eight European countries - see Housing and Health in Europe (2009) Routledge); responsible for start-up work to develop Housing-Health Indicators; participated in work on development of Environmental Health Indicators; seconded to WHO ECEH (Bonn) for three months in 2006 to review and develop their strategy on health and housing; contributed to projects on policy briefs to reduce children's unintentional injuries (part of the work on Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe), developing health relevant climate change indicators, and indoor air quality.

Contributed to work on the development of a Healthy Housing Index carried out by the Housing and Health Research Programme at University of Otago, New Zealand. Appointed by the NZ government to the Assessment Panel for the National Science Challenge on Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities.

Background in public health, having worked in local authorities. Subsequently specialised in housing conditions and practised as an expert witness in cases dealing with housing conditions. Founder and director of the Public Health Advisory Service (a project funded by Shelter). Joined Warwick Law School full time in 1996 after working with Roger Burridge on studies into housing standards. Moved to the Institute of Health, School of Health and Social Studies in February 2010. Now based in Warwick Medical School, Division of Health Sciences.

With Professor Roger Burridge organised the Warwick series of (un)Healthy Housing conferences - Unhealthy Housing: A diagnosis (1986), Unhealthy Housing: Prevention and remedies (1987), and Unhealthy Housing: The Public Health response (1991), and Healthy Housing: promoting good health (2003). Organised the 5th Warwick Healthy Housing Conference (2008).