Housing strategy needs keep its promises

The Government has outlined a compelling vision for the future of older people’s housing – but now needs to inspire local government and strategic partners to deliver on key targets and outcomes.

That’s the message from Anchor Trust Chief Executive Dr John Belcher, who has welcomed today’s publication of ‘Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society’ (25 February 2008).

Dr Belcher is now calling for the lack of innovation which has characterised housing for older people to be replaced by an ambitious approach which puts them at the very centre of communities.

He said:

“Anchor Trust is dedicated to improving the lives of older people, and the National Strategy has the same goal at its heart.

“The Strategy recognises that social exclusion and isolation are very real problems for many older people: housing needs to be fully integrated into communities.

“Increased investment in handyman services and the modernisation of the Disabled Facilities Grant will enable Anchor Staying Put, our home improvement agency, to help even more people to continue living in their own homes.

“And it is also extremely encouraging to see the Government acknowledging the value of specialised housing, which will play a crucial role over and above general needs housing as the population ages and care needs increase.

“The next generation of older people will have higher expectations and be more discerning than their parents.

“Anchor is already delivering housing options which provide social and lifestyle choices for older people, which empower them to engage with the surrounding community”

But while there is much to praise in the Strategy, Dr Belcher warned that improvements to older people’s housing can only be achieved if local authorities, regional assemblies and strategic partners take up the baton.

“The housing of the future needs to be aspirational and inspirational.

“To achieve this, there needs to be more vision and joined-up thinking among local authority planners, regional housing boards and development partners, and Regional Housing Strategies must more consistently address the housing needs of older people.

“Fresh thinking is essential and we have to start offering older people a choice of stock across tenures, in good locations, with superb design values and links to the wider community.

“Few planners and developers seem willing to take this leap of faith towards a more innovative approach. The Government needs to drive home the values enshrined in its Innovation Panel, if it is to offer older people a meaningful choice of housing options.”

Dr Belcher continued:

“Plenty of thought is given in the Strategy to the housing of the future, such as Lifetime Homes.

“But the same weight is not given to the urgent need to re-model a large amount of dated existing stock to meet the same Lifetime Homes standards.

“Re-modelling can be an expensive and disruptive process, and the Government needs to take the lead and introduce a clear plan and timetable for its agencies to help deliver this vital work.”

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