Leaseholder experiences of the UK ‘cladding scandal’: understanding the pathways to mental wellbeing impacts

Project summary

The mental wellbeing impacts of living with building safety defects, such as flammable cladding, is a public health crisis (Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, 2020). Initial indications suggest that negative impacts are substantial, and stem not only from safety concerns and immediate financial pressures, but also through living with persistent uncertainty, derailed life transitions, and a sense of betrayal of the ‘social contract’ (Martin and Preece, 2021). Through in-depth interviews with affected individuals, this project will explore the effects of living with flammable cladding and/or other building safety issues on leaseholders’ perceptions of their mental wellbeing, identifying the pathways through which these impacts are made.

This research has three key aims. First, to understand and represent the experiences of leaseholders living in homes affected by the ‘cladding scandal’. Second, to identify the pathways to impacts on mental wellbeing, acknowledging the complex and interconnected nature of stressors across different time-horizons. Third, to use the findings to inform recommendations for action by different stakeholder groups.

Team: Dr Jenny Preece (Research Associate & Principal Investigator), Dr Gareth Young (Knowledge Exchange Associate)

Advisory group: Prof John Flint (Co-Investigator), Dr Kim McKee (Co-Investigator), Prof David Robinson (Co-Investigator), William Martin (UK Cladding Action Group)

Timeline: June 2021 – March 2022

Theme: Choice

Outputs: