The Older People’s Housing Taskforce published a report and two pieces of government funded research to address the critical housing crisis for the UK’s ageing population.
The Taskforce's report reveals stark challenges in providing suitable, affordable housing for senior citizens and proposes a comprehensive strategy to transform later-life living. Key findings include:
- The UK builds only 7,000 later living homes annually, but needs 30-50,000 to meet growing demand.
- Privately leased older people's housing remains unaffordable for most households.
- Only 0.6% of older people live in Housing with Care, compared to 6% in countries like the USA.
- Over 90% of older people still live in mainstream housing.
- Just 12% of older people's homes have level access, and fewer than half have bathrooms on the entry level.
The Taskforce's Vision:
1. Expand the market for Older People's Housing (OPH) by:
- Incentivising investment
- Making housing more affordable
- Increasing consumer awareness and confidence.
2. Improve mainstream housing to better support seniors by:
- Focusing on new builds
- Retrofitting existing housing stock
- Promoting community-led housing options like co-housing.
3. Create age-friendly communities that:
- Build social connections
- Link seniors with families, providers, and local communities
- Reflect the diversity of the aging population.
The Taskforce calls for dedicated government delivery to drive these transformative changes, recognising that solving this challenge requires sustained, collaborative effort across multiple sectors.
Supporting research:
What older people want: An evidence assessment of what older people want and can afford, when it comes to their housing choices when looking to move.
Patterns and trends in planning applications for older persons housing: An exploration of factors impacting on the delivery of planning permissions for older persons’ housing.
