A new insights paper from the National Retrofit Hub, Health, Place & Retrofit: Findings and Recommendations for Change, argues that retrofit must be understood as a place-based approach that shapes health, wellbeing, and everyday life, not simply a building upgrade.
The paper builds on challenge themes identified in the National Retrofit Hub’s State of the Nation report published in 2024, which found that current definitions of retrofit are often too narrow. While reducing carbon emissions, tackling fuel poverty, and lowering energy bills remain essential, the report highlighted that these framings do not always reflect what matters most to people in their homes and neighbourhoods: health, comfort, and day to day quality of life.
The new paper makes the case that retrofit must continue to meet statutory obligations on emissions reduction and fuel poverty alleviation, while also responding to the lived experiences of communities and the distinct identities of places. It argues that enabling communities to have a real and meaningful say in how outcomes are defined and achieved is critical to delivering lasting benefits.
The paper also highlights that most retrofit programmes still rely on predicted performance rather than measuring how homes actually perform once work is complete, despite repeated national audits calling for stronger outcome monitoring. Evidence shows that many of the benefits of retrofit are social and health-related, including improved comfort, reduced damp and mould, and better wellbeing, yet these outcomes are rarely captured or valued.
Developed through a highly collaborative process, the paper was produced in partnership with Impact on Urban Health, Arup, and TrustMark, with strategic input from the Royal Academy of Engineering. It also draws on collaboration with Centric Lab and research contributions from Dr Kate Simpson, alongside insights from many practitioners, policymakers, community organisations, and residents who took part in workshops and interviews.
The paper sets out some key recommendations, including:
- Broaden how success in retrofit is defined, so health, comfort, and lived experience are valued alongside energy and carbon performance.
- Measure real world outcomes, not just predictions, by embedding post intervention monitoring to understand how homes actually perform once work is complete.
- Support communities to shape and assess outcomes, including through place-based approaches such as Community Health Impact Assessments.
Sara Edmonds, Co-director of the National Retrofit Hub, said: “Retrofit is too often framed as a technical fix, when in reality it shapes people’s health, comfort, and daily lives. This paper shows that if retrofit is to succeed, we need to understand how homes are used in practice, how places differ, and how communities experience change. Measuring what matters, and listening to the people most affected, is essential if retrofit is to deliver lasting benefits.”
Helene Godson, Associate Director at Arup commented: “The wider benefits of retrofit and good housing are well-known and feel intuitive but evidencing and communicating that value is hard. Arup joined this project with the shared ambition to zoom out from technical building performance and explore how understanding place and local need can shape design and deliver wider benefits, including improved health outcomes.
“The work has been wide-ranging, but we hope this report will support others to think as broadly as possible and to navigate a complex system. Please read the recommendations for practical action for different stakeholders and let us know your thoughts.”
Avinash Rajan, Proposition Director at TrustMark said: “Retrofit when done well makes homes more comfortable and energy efficient. It delivers health and economic benefits. We need more innovative approaches to deliver these home improvements at scale, while ensuring good quality delivery and monitoring to minimise harm to homeowners or tenants.
TrustMark is pleased to have supported this important paper to inform the discussion on approaches to deliver equitable retrofit at scale within the Government’s ambition for the Warm Homes Plan.”
Robin Minchom, Portfolio Manager at Impact on Urban Health added: “We know that good homes are a foundation of good health, and that retrofit has the potential to be transformative for our unhealthy homes. This report lays out clearly how to redefine and redesign retrofit as a health-shaping intervention so we can realise that potential and the urgency to do so amid the health and climate crises.”
