New Light Through

Old Windows Changing the face of

Sheltered Housing

Key to sustainable sheltered housing

Would you want to live in your sheltered housing?

Context

2

Context • The housing supply debate is not addressing older people’s

housing needs (supply, quality & adaptability)

o 1 in 4 over 60s are interested in a ‘retirement property’

& 1 in 3 want to downsize – but…

o Only 2% of UK housing is specialist older people – 450k

homes to rent & only 100k to buy (US = 17%, Oz = 13%)

o New build does not meet the needs/wants of older

people & existing homes are not readily adaptable to

meet needs & support independent living

• The UK has 12.2m pensioners – the same as Finland, Latvia,

Lithuania, Estonia & Genovia

• SW has UK’s highest proportion of older people (40 per cent)

& 6 of the top 20 retirement counties

• 23% of SW retirees have less than the 'Minimum Income

Standard' (£8,600 - single person or £12,500 for couple)

Context • Life expectancy has increased from 71 in 1960 to 79.5 for

men & 83.5 for women

• But HEALTHY life expectancy means men will have 15 years

& women 17 years of ill-health

• 4.6m pensioners experience disability/long-term illness –

this will double in the next 20 years

• One third of babies born today will live to 100

• We face a “silver tsunami” – large growth in older groups

especially 75+ - acute in rural areas (growth of 47% vs 90% by

2029)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Under 25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

2012

2037

Context

Who lives in sheltered housing? • Sheltered housing residents are increasingly diverse – wide

range of expectations, needs & ages

• Residents are older & frailer than those who lived in the

schemes when originally built – often living with dementia or

chronic ill-health

• Increasing numbers of younger people – most have no care

or support needs but others have complex needs

• More residents need to continue to work

• These ‘imbalances’ make it harder to provide a service that

meets all tenants needs & aspirations

Who lives in sheltered housing?

15%

26%

34%

26%

45-64 65-74 75-84 85+

The average age

of residents is

around 80

Small but

steady increase

in the number

of younger

residents Over a quarter

are aged 85

years & over

Who moves into sheltered housing?

1.04% 1.88%

7.44% 6.31%

4.14%

1.98% 1.22%

3.20%

19.77%

19.11%

16.20%

9.23%

0.28%

0.19%

1.04%

1.51%

2.54%

3.01%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

under 45 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

Low support Medium support High support

Over a

third of

new lets to

75+

Over a third of

new lets are to

under 65s

Less than 1 in 25

have ‘high’

support needs

Would you want to die in your sheltered housing?

What’s ‘wrong’ with sheltered housing?

• Still seen as ‘modern’ - often built in the late 60s as homes

for the children of the 19th century!

• Homes are often small – between 30m² & 35m²

• Bedsits? – conversion to one bed flats or ‘shoe-horning’ of

bathrooms to create self-contained unit

• Poor layout - communal doors difficult to use, changes in

levels & no lift access to first floor

• Problems with fire compartmentation & means of escape

• Services are out-dated (district heating, communal

laundries) difficult to access & repair (asbestos!)

• Under-utilised ‘guest’ rooms, scheme manager’s office &

external drying areas

• Capital improvements - new kitchens, bathrooms, heating

windows & roofs – but were these the ‘best option’?

What does it look like?

What do residents want?

• Nothing very specialised!

o ‘own front door’ with two bedrooms & modern &

spacious bathrooms & kitchens

o space for parking & mobility scooters

o attractive communal areas & grounds that are private &

in a quiet location

o regular contact with polite & friendly staff with

targeted support where needed

o access to shops & local amenities

o opportunities to choose to participate/socialise

o a landlord that keeps promises especially on repairs &

maintenance

o safe & secure – prevent neighbour problems & deals

with them if they arise – appropriate allocation?

Ark’s methodology

Continuous review & refinement

What are the typical options? • Re-defining the structure of the service

o Modernising the ‘scheme manager‘ role

o Hub & spoke model - providing support to residents in

the scheme or in the wider community

o ‘Floating’ support to all residents in an area

• Improved definition of the content of the service

o ‘Ring-fenced’ housing management service with link to

support services

o Use of assistive technology & telecare to augment

support

o More choice & personalisation of services (variable

charging using a ‘menu approach’)

What are the typical options? • The ‘as is’ option works where the building is fit for the

future & matches future local ‘demand’

• The ‘remodel’ option works where there is a clear demand

but work needed to meet modern standards:

o Remove bedsits & improve space standards

o introduce some 2 bed accommodation

o reduction in ‘specialist’ facilities like guest rooms or

communal laundries

o creation of scooter stores, better refuse storage & better

accessibility/fire safety

• The ‘remodelling’ plan often includes steps to allow future

exit from specialist use & could include changes in tenure

• Remodelling to extra care is rarely feasible or desirable -

requires scale– probably a minimum of 50 units

What are the typical options? • ‘Change of use’ where the building is ‘fit’ & matches an

unmet local ‘demand’

o Only minor improvement/adaptation needed to meet the

needs of another specialised group - temporary housing

for homeless households or for smaller schemes people

with learning difficulties or mental health issues

• ‘Redevelopment’ – may reflect condition/future

maintenance liabilities or low demand

o This option seeks to optimise development value

(difficult in some areas) and/or realigning supply to local

need/ demand

• ‘Disposal’ – as above driven by condition/demand factors

o likely to be with a view to its redevelopment or as part

of a stock rationalisation strategy - sold as a going

concern

Where next? • Agree a vision – what outcomes do you want sheltered

housing to deliver now & in the future

• Understand your housing market - ‘demand’ now & in the

future & competitors' relative position (& plans)

• Understand your stock – its condition, ‘attractiveness’,

performance & rate of return (sustainability)

• Challenge current service delivery (structure & content)

• Communicate! Create advocates among residents & partners

(social care, housing strategy, options & SP teams)

• Ensure you have capacity to deliver – finance & expertise

• Work with & learn from partners/peers/competitors (share

skills & resources)

• ‘Stick at it’ – maintain focus on the outcomes

• Challenge decision-makers to make the big decisions…

Are you balancing the needs of current residents with those of future users?

Contact Details

Kieran Colgan

Director of Housing

Ark Housing Consultancy

kcolgan@arkconsultancy.co.uk

www.arkconsultancy.co.uk