Re-visioning older people’s housing

Lizzie Clifford, Policy and Research AssistantNational Housing Federation

Breaking the Mould

The National Housing Federation

We support and promote the work that housing associations do and campaign for

better housing and neighbourhoods

www.housing.org.uk

Breaking the Mould

How to break the mould?

Are we ready…?

• 4.6m older people with disabilities by 2041

• Number of those with dementia will increase to 1.4m in the next 30 years.

• Long-term care expenditure to increase by around 325% between 2002 and 2041

“No invading army, volcanic eruption or yet undreamt of plague can rival ageing in the breadth or depth of its impact on society.”

Many, many, many happy returns…!

Growing up and growing older

‘I don’t want to be shoved in with all the old ‘uns! I don’t! And I’m old myself! I like to see some youngsters about, I like to see kids skipping in the street so that I know I’m still alive…’ (focus group participant)

YOU are part of the ageing populationHow are you feeling about growing older?How do you see yourself spending your retirement?Will you think of yourself as ‘elderly’ when you’re…

55…85…105?

Older people’s needs

• 70,000 people aged 60+ in urgent need of housing and related support services

• Number of over 65s in East to rise by 77% between 2008 and 2033

• 73% of people between 60 and 65 plan to work between 1 and 7 years past retirement

•105,381 over 65s in Essex unable to manage at least one domestic task on their own

A picture of housing

• A third of all social housing tenants 65+

• Only 5% in “older people’s housing”

• 70% of older people are owner occupiers

• Property value of £767 billion

This means…

Cost of care/ prevention

How are housing associations meeting the challenge?

•Expanding service provision•Tapping into housing equity•Mixed tenure neutral schemes•Older people’s housing strategies•Popular community amenities•Charging for low-level support•Cross-subsidy•Affordable home care to wider community

‘The gains are more than just creating new business opportunities or making more efficient use of your stock. Changing the way you deliver services makes a real difference to real people’.

- Vanessa Connolly, Bedford Citizens Housing Association

What’s been achieved so far?

4 focus groupsLiterature reviewBusiness model case studiesResearch on LA housing strategies for older peopleDVDReport

Parliamentary reception4 Regional eventsDinner for MPsWebsite

Where do we go from here?

•Evaluation, promotion & leadership•Lobbying: local housing strategies•Maintaining momentum…over to you…