Lambeth Local Authority fined for failing to meet its housing duty

The association between ill-health and poor housing has been recognised for many years. Although the role of housing as a social determinant of health has been well established, public health experts consider that the causal pathways are not understood well, apart from the obvious direct effects of physical housing defects, such as damp. Vulnerable households face considerable challenges as the situation outlined below which led to a fine being imposed on a local authority.