Passive Strategies for Climate Change Mitigation in Social Housing: A Review for Temperate Climates

Abstract

Climate change is transforming the energy demands of buildings, with especially significant impacts on social housing, positioning passive design strategies as sustainable and viable solutions. This systematic review analyzes 42 publications (2017–2024) to examine and discuss the state of the art on passive design strategies applied to social housing in cold semi-arid temperate climates, identify effective strategies, and evaluate barriers to their implementation. The study is structured around three key dimensions: climate adaptability, energy efficiency, and economic viability. The analysis indicates that among the most prominent strategies, natural and night ventilation (71 %) and shading (55 %) are essential to mitigate overheating. This work offers an integrated perspective, rarely addressed in previous studies, and proposes future research directions to address existing gaps, such as the lack of long-term cost-benefit analyses under climate change scenarios, the need for life-cycle assessments, and the development of accessible financing tools. In conclusion, the review contributes to the understanding of sustainable and equitable housing solutions by integrating thermal comfort with strategies to combat energy poverty in climate-vulnerable contexts.