Energy demand and air quality in social housing buildings: A novel critical review

Social housing buildings, throughout Europe, represent a consistent share of the existing building stock. Due to the increasing levels of urbanization, the social housing population in the cities has risen and, after the economic crisis following the subprime mortgage crisis and the pandemic, low-income families as well. The greatest part of social dwellings, those built in the previous century, is usually sub-standard from an energy and environmental point of view. This study reviews the existing literature documenting indoor environmental conditions and energy refurbishment interventions or programs to improve the energy efficiency of existing social buildings. By considering the high risk of energy poverty in social contexts, and the socio-economic conditions of tenants, the economic implications deriving from the energy retrofit were also evidenced. Relevant papers published between 2010 and 2024 were reviewed and were divided according to the reference scale, namely the building or the district scale. The review shows the need to improve the energy performances of social dwellings, both to reduce their energy demand and to improve the indoor microclimatic conditions and quality of life of tenants. Through a critical literature review approach, this study provides a contribution to the in-depth understanding of the role of social housing in the contemporary context, providing meaningful insights for formulating more effective and inclusive housing policies for the next future.