Later life is for living: How can more homes for our ageing population benefit us all?
This is a guest blog by Sarah Jones, Chief Executive of Anchor
We all know that we are ageing as a nation. In the last 40 years, the number of people aged sixty-five and over has increased by over 3.5 million, an increase of 52%. Today, those aged sixty-five and over make up 18% of the population, and this has huge implications for us all.
From health and social care provision to pensions – as well as wider societal issues. These issues are too often presented in a pejorative way, with older people referred to as bed-blockers, housing blockers, and pension liabilities.
And there is a common narrative of inter-generational inequity that holds that older people are the beneficiaries of unearned property wealth and generous pension arrangements. While this is true of some it is certainly not true for all older people.
House building is rightly a priority of the new Government, and the role of older people’s housing is an important part of this conversation. That’s both in terms of the need for age-appropriate housing and in the capacity that it can unlock: only 0.6 per cent of the UK’s older population currently lives in specialist retirement housing.
But our research shows that 75% of older people want to live in their own homes as they age, and that over onethird of those over 55 would consider retirement housing.
So investment in age-appropriate housing brings benefits not only to older individuals but also to society at large. Appropriate housing for older people improves their health and wellbeing, reducing the strain on public services by preventing accidents and alleviating loneliness. Additionally, each new home for an older person frees up housing for younger families and first-time buyers, improving overall housing accessibility and affordability.
We advocate for several policy changes to encourage the development of housing for older people, including:
Reforms in the National Policy Planning Framework to support the development of older people’s housing
Allocating 10% of Homes England & GLA’s capital funding for social housing for older people
Local plans reserving 10% of sites for housing for older people
Support for higher-density housing developments to accommodate necessary communal spaces
As Britain’s largest provider of social housing for older people in England, we’re actively addressing the housing shortage through a robust development program, delivering an average of 500 homes a year, with at least 70% designated for social rent. All our earnings are reinvested into properties and services, ensuring continued innovation and expansion to meet future demands.
This benefits the whole of society as it helps people to live healthier and independent lives for longer as well as freeing up family homes for the next generation.
So together, we can transform our society and futureproof later life. That will benefit not only the older people of today but those of tomorrow, and fulfil the potential of our ageing society.
