On top of that, there are additional economic advantages to reducing noise exposure, increasing daylight access and improving indoor temperature. If we include these, the economic incentives for improving the conditions on all housing deficiencies leading to a poor indoor climate would be even greater.
Quick return on investment
Each year, inadequate housing costs EU economies nearly €194 billion a year in direct and indirect costs from healthcare, social services, loss of productivity and reduced opportunities17.
Studies have estimated that if all improvements needed in order to bring housing standards across Europe up to acceptable levels were made at the same time, the cost would be repaid within 18 months. Lower costs of healthcare, social services and increased productivity and opportunities would mean that within one year of improving the European housing stock, €2 out of every €3 spent would be repaid17.
Note that these numbers do not take into account the likely economic benefits that renovation brings in terms of added value to homes and energy savings. So, by facing these challenges, we could also improve the inefficiency of the existing building stock, which is responsible for 40 percent of Europe’s energy consumption, and for over a third of its CO2 emissions18.