The study found damp or mouldy homes caused more than 35,000 nights in hospital with an associated cost of around $35 million. Photo: Getty ImagesThe health costs of New Zealand's poor housing could be more than $145 million a year, a new study shows. "That's not even counting additional costs that occur due to illness and injury caused by poor housing conditions or the associated costs to society more broadly.'' Dr Riggs presented the results today at the University of Otago Wellington Public Health Summer School, which is also hosting the Southern Hemisphere launch of the new World Health Organization housing and health guidelines. "We are hopeful the guidelines will assist in helping to turn around the type of preventable health costs identified in this latest research.''

Source: Otago Daily Times February 25, 2019 01:41 UTC