Why government must seize the moment for older people’s housing

COMMENT The government has published and responded to the long-awaited Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, offering to give the report careful consideration – understandably as it contains wide-ranging and ambitious recommendations. It will require a concerted effort as part of the government’s wider housing ambitions to make an impact, however, and government must capitalise on this opportunity to enact transformational, lasting change to a sector that allows our older population access to quality homes, independence and community. The report’s figures are stark: we need 50,000 specialist homes per year to meet the needs of an ageing population, yet current delivery falls woefully short at just 7,000. The report makes clear that without renewed energy our housing policy will fail to meet the needs of older people today and in the future, and every year we delay action in this area our housing debt grows. The BPF was heartened to see that all key policy pillars of both our Building for Generations Manifesto and our Housing for an Ageing Population paper with Cushman & Wakefield were echoed by the report in its recommendations, including incentivising inward investment, strengthening planning policies to enhance delivery, and building consumer confidence through regulatory clarity. The need for integration The report’s most crucial recommendation calls for ambitious, integrated action across the housing, health and care systems, driven from the top of government and extending outward to communities and families. It rightly says a long-term national housing strategy for an ageing population is urgently needed to prepare for the profound impacts of our ageing society. Such a strategy would help people live healthier, more independent lives, make better use of housing stock, and reduce pressure on health and social care services. Delivery requires ownership at the highest levels of government and a commitment to meaningful, sustained action. We must ensure these recommendations are not left to gather dust but are actively driven forward. The report highlights the need to create an environment where diverse housing options are incentivised, built and understood by the customer. We have long emphasised that national and local planning systems must enable greater volumes of age-appropriate housing. This means ensuring local plans adequately reflect the need for specialist housing and that mainstream developments incorporate these principles. We support the report’s call to strengthen the planning system to accelerate delivery, and welcome the housing minister’s work with the Planning Advisory Service on clarifying use classes. In our manifesto we went even further, specifically calling for a new use class CR2 for seniors housing as well as mandatory needs assessments and a requirement for local authorities to dedicate at least 10% of new housing as specialist older peoples’ housing where need is identified. Ensuring consumer confidence We also welcome the emphasis on building trust among older people and their families. Transparency around fees, charges and housing options is essential to fostering confidence in age-appropriate housing. The BPF has previously called on the government to drive transparency in this crucial sector, by adopting the Law Commission’s principles on event fees.  There are valuable lessons to be drawn from early initiatives both in the UK and internationally on designing systems that enhance consumer protection while offering greater flexibility for residents. Over the next year, the BPF will contribute to shaping a tenure model that better meets the needs of older adults, drawing on this international best practice. There is also a clear challenge to the industry to provide accessible information about what products are available, what services they provide, how much it costs, how it can be paid for and what benefits residents may gain. The government must seize this moment to act decisively. This groundbreaking report offers a clear roadmap for doing so, but its success depends on structures that translate ambition into delivery. The opportunity to make transformational change for older people is here and must be treated with the same ambition that the government rightly has for broader housing delivery in this parliament. Theo Plowman is assistant director of policy at the British Property Federation