Do Energy-Efficient Homes improve Health of the Residents? Evidence from a Large Scale Quasi-Experiment.
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Series
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SpeakerIoulia Ossokina (Eindhoven University of Technology)
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FieldSpatial Economics
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LocationErasmus University Rotterdam, E building, Kitchen/Lounge E1
Rotterdam -
Date and time
April 04, 2024
12:00 - 13:00
Abstract
Reduced housing quality is often associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes. Our paper estimates the importance of this relationship for the Netherlands - a developed country with a high level of health care. We exploit data from a large-scale quasi-experimental retrofitting program which improved the energy efficiency of old homes, reducing draught, cold and mould for some 150,000 low-income tenants. Making use of the staggered implementation of the program and a difference-in-differences design, we study the effects on the health expenditures and medication usage of the residents during six years after the retrofit. We also zoom in into specific health effects for various vulnerable groups.