Better health through better housing - Current impact and future prospects of randomized trials

Safe and stable housing in integrated neighborhoods with access to basic amenities and social elements is indispensable for good health. Recent randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that improvements in the built environment have positive impacts on malaria, fall injuries, and gun violence outcomes. There are several challenges associated with performing studies that assess house improvement as an intervention for advancing human health and well-being, including ethical issues, lack of blinding, spillover effects, and differential behavior. Future research is warranted to evaluate the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of prototype houses or energy-efficient prefabricated modular homes by employing more holistic strategies, such as integration of data analytics, peer support, and whole health coaching, addition of social contextual perspectives on mobile technology-supported community-based interventions, and combination of digital technology-informed community-engaged citizen science and participatory action programs with multisector partnerships. Gleaning stronger evidence from clinical trials and model-based economic analyses that ascertain the effects of multiple intersecting factors on individuals and communities would illuminate effective policy making options in healthy housing and guide successful implementation of sustainable public health policies. Straightforward and cost-effective pathways should therefore be created based on highest-quality scientific data to lead the scaling up of novel housing interventions and capacity building for health-in-all-policies to support population health equity, thereby ensuring that everyone has access to housing and the chance to live a healthy and productive life.