The Large Analysis and Review of European housing and health Status (LARES) project

This project, coordinated by WHO/Europe, assessed the quality of the housing stock in a holistic way and achieved a more comprehensive understanding of housing and health in the WHO European Region, with a view to setting priorities and developing recommendations for policy-making.

The analysis provided evidence of links between the health of inhabitants and their housing conditions, and identified the following as the main risk factors: indoor environment conditions (including dampness, moulds, indoor emissions, infestations etc.), thermal comfort, noise and home accessibility.

The LARES project was based on (a) an evidence review and (b) a pan-European survey on housing and health carried out in eight cities (Angers, Bonn, Bratislava, Budapest, Ferreira do Alentejo, Forli, Geneva, Vilnius). Results show that across Europe, a range of housing-related risks affect the health of large population parts – with some risk factors being relevant for 20-25% of the population. Data from LARES also indicates that housing conditions are not equally distributed, with certain neighbourhoods, building types and population groups bearing a much higher risk.

LARES publications

While preliminary findings of the LARES survey were published in 2007, LARES data keep being used for academic research. The list of journal articles included in the appendix of the LARES report is therefore regularly updated to include the most recent publications using LARES data.