Our Top 5 Priorities for 2026 - No. 1 Accessible Homes: Ensure homes are universally accessible and inclusively designed
As we step into 2026, our focus is on creating homes and communities that are inclusive, resilient and future-ready. From accessible housing and intergenerational living, to healthier neighbourhoods, digital readiness and better supported housing, our 5 top priorities highlight where action matters most.
Priority No 1. Accessible Homes: Ensure homes are universally accessible and inclusively designed
As a founding member of the HoME Coalition and HAPPI champion, we share a commitment to inclusive design in the way we need to plan, design and build in accessibility and future adaptability into homes in the UK.
Thirty years after the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act, we continuously press for Part M4(2) of the Building Regulations as a minimum accessibility standard for all new homes and not just a 40% minimum of homes as proposed in the recent National Planning Policy Framework consultation. We know many authorities stated aims are already to build to 90% to 100% to a combination of Part M4(2) and/or Part M4(3). So to adapt a phrase coined by the Secretory of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed MP, “Build Baby Build, Accessibly”.
We invite housing providers, local authorities and community leaders to work with us to turn these ambitions into practical solutions that improve lives.
How can we help you?
For information on the HAPPI design principles, visit our dedicated HAPPI webpages.
To find out more about how you can prepare homes or services for an ageing population, or to discuss your requirements, click here or email us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk (opens new window).
Lastly, building on the HAPPI and TAPPI principles, each of our top 5 priority themes for 2026 is also shaped by the core areas that will form a fundamental part of our Vivensa Foundation-funded SHAPE Exchange programme over the next 5 years. More details will be out soon to coincide with our annual conferences in Newcastle and Bristol.