WHY DO OUR PROPERTIES MATTER?
Thankfully we are living longer. But not enough is being done to ensure that those who need extra support in later life can do so in specialist housing and remain independent.
WHY DO OUR PROPERTIES MATTER?
Thankfully we are living longer. But not enough is being done to ensure that those who need extra support in later life can do so in specialist housing and remain independent.
The UK’s Population is getting older:
People aged 65 and over are a large and rapidly growing group – there are currently almost 12 million people aged 65 and over in the UK, with 3.2 million aged 80 and over and 1.6 million aged 85 and over
In less than 20 years, the number of those aged 65 and over in the UK will increase by more than 40%.
As a result, one in four will be over 65 by 2036
But the UK’s housing stock is not ready to meet that challenge:
Most people continue to live in mainstream houses that are unsuitable to grow old in.
There are just c.162,000 retirement living dwellings for homeowners in the UK
The UK has the oldest housing stock in the EU, with 38% of homes dating from before 1946 and 21% from before 1919
In 2016, one in five homes (4.7 million) did not meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard with issues including cold, damp, fire risk and general falls hazards
As a result, many older people want to move:
8 MILLION PEOPLE OVER 60 INTERESTED IN DOWNSIZING
Demos found that around 8 million people over 60, in 7 million homes, were found to be interested in downsizing. As the 2018 House of Commons CLG committee report put it:
“Many older people would like to move in later life but often the physical, financial and emotional aspects of moving home prevent or delay them from doing so, and we heard that many of those who do move often wished they had done so sooner, often ‘five to 10 years earlier’.”
Between a quarter and a third of older people are interested in moving
8 MILLION PEOPLE OVER 60 INTERESTED IN DOWNSIZING
Demos found that around 8 million people over 60, in 7 million homes, were found to be interested in downsizing. As the 2018 House of Commons CLG committee report put it:
“Many older people would like to move in later life but often the physical, financial and emotional aspects of moving home prevent or delay them from doing so, and we heard that many of those who do move often wished they had done so sooner, often ‘five to 10 years earlier’.”
Between a quarter and a third of older people are interested in moving
General housing supply is increasing
– but not quickly enough:
The UK is not building enough housing.