Developing suitable living environments for Bangladeshi elders: A research report on four East London boroughs

Launched at the House of Lords by Lord Best in February 2026, we are pleased to share the Amar Bari, Amar Jibon (My Home, My Life) research report. 

Funded by the Vivensa Foundation, this pioneering 30-month joint project with research partners The Open University, Bangla Housing Association and the Housing LIN, studied the housing circumstances of the Bangladeshi ‘probin’ community across 4 East London boroughs (Hackney, Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets). 

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 76 older women and men and eight families from the Bangladeshi community, as well as a research advisory group of local people with Bengali heritage living in the boroughs and a professional advisory group, this co-produced project explored the experiences, needs, and aspirations related to home, housing, health, and neighbourhoods among older adults from the long-established Bangladeshi community in East London.

The findings make startling reading, capturing the daily living experiences of people in poor quality and overcrowded housing, a lack of awareness of their housing options to improve or adapt their existing home as they age or as a result of deteriorating health or a growing need for care, and the limited housing choices available close to their community networks. They include issues relating to 5 overarching areas:

• Housing tenure and inequality
• Suitability of accommodation for daily living
• Housing conditions and experience of repairs
• Suitability of housing for evolving health and age-related needs
• Preferences for future living

There are also key recommendations for national and local policy makers, planners, housing operators and property service providers, NHS, public health and social care commissioners, trade and professional bodies, voluntary agencies, minority-led community and faith groups. These are clustered around 3 core themes, as follows:

• Evidence: Make the increased ethnic diversity and the resulting housing inequities visible
• Recognition: Acknowledge systemic racial disparities in housing access and implement targeted interventions to address structural barriers
• Action: Address how discriminatory housing systems and inadequate conditions compound disability, health inequalities, and care needs

The findings, recommendations and a record of the study conducted are contained in this project report and an accompanying Executive Summary. These, and other news and resources released during the course of the project, can also be found on the Amar Bari, Amar Jibon microsite hosted on the Housing LIN’s webpages.