Posted on: 10 September 2025
Working with local authorities and housing providers, we have published our Children’s Asthma and Housing Ambitions - a landmark step in 
tackling the link between poor housing and children’s health.
“This work is about making sure no child’s health is put at risk by the place they call home,” said Maria Storer, Project Manager for Housing and Health. “By joining up health and housing, we can prevent harm, reduce hospital admissions and give children the best chance to breathe easier.”
Asthma is the most common long-term health condition in children across the UK, affecting one in 11 young people. In West Yorkshire, housing conditions remain a challenge:
- 8% of homes are classed as non-decent
- 15% contain a category 1 hazard
- 30% of households cannot afford adequate heating year-round
For children living with asthma, cold, damp or overcrowded homes pose a significant and sometimes life-threatening risk.
The ambition document highlights how a ‘health in all policies’ approach is reshaping services across the region. This includes:
- clear reporting pathways for clinicians, housing officers and residents when a child’s health is at risk
- triage and escalation systems to ensure timely repairs, support or alternative accommodation
- safeguarding alignment to protect children in dangerous living conditions
training for housing staff on the impact of indoor air quality and how to reduce risk
Casey Russell, Project Manager for Children and Young People’s Long-Term Conditions, explained: “We’ve already seen real impact through our pilot in Leeds. Using a red-amber-green (RAG) rated referral system, asthma clinicians can quickly escalate cases and trigger urgent action - whether that’s repairs, energy efficiency support or education on triggers like dust mites.”
Dr Alex Adams and Nurse Specialist Matthew Hick from Leeds Children's Asthma Nurse Specialist Team added: “The integrated approach we have established between health and housing has dramatically improved the lives of our children with asthma whose living conditions were impacting their health.
"There is now a clear pathway for communication and understanding between the teams that results in timely intervention when needed. All the families that have been helped by this service have been extremely grateful”.
The Leeds pilot has been expanded to Wakefield District, Bradford District and Calderdale, with early development in Kirklees and Craven. This means more families across West Yorkshire are receiving help before their child’s health is seriously harmed.
The tragic case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, who died following prolonged exposure to mould, is a stark reminder of the dangers children face when housing and health are not addressed together.
“This is about prevention and partnership,” added Maria. “By bringing together housing providers, local authorities and health professionals, we’ve created a shared vision that puts children’s health at the centre of housing decisions.”
The Children’s Asthma and Housing Ambitions document is live on the publication pages on the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership. Families and professionals can also learn more about asthma and indoor air triggers by visiting the asthma section on the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website and by joining the #AskAboutAsthma campaign.
This work also supports #AskAboutAsthma Week (Monday, 8 to Thursday, 11 September 2025), an initiative aimed at raising awareness about asthma - particularly among children and young people - by encouraging simple changes that improve asthma care and prevent deaths.
Our ambition is clear: every child in West Yorkshire deserves a safe place to breathe.
For more information, please contact:
- Maria Storer, Project Manager for Housing and Health (maria.
storer )@nhs.net - Casey Russell, Project Manager for Children and Young People Long-Term Conditions: Asthma, Diabetes and Epilepsy (casey.
russell1 )@nhs.net