Housing, for most of us, is one of the very few constants in our lives. Our home plays host to some of the happiest moments in our lives, provides us with fundamental security and is the key to improving life opportunities. It is somewhere we should be able to feel safe, warm and part of a community.

Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045/50 when most of these homes and some of the of 23,000 new builds typically completed each year still do not feature the essential, integrated, flexible renewable energy technologies which will help us get there affordably?

Today (10 October) is World Homeless Day, providing an important chance for us all to consider the impact of our homes on our health, and how we would feel if we didn’t have this place of physical and emotional security. It’s no coincidence that today is also World Mental Health Day, reflecting how mental health challenges can all too often be a cause or result of homelessness.