Housing LIN Viewpoint 117: In conversation with Ali and Vanessa – housing and dementia matters

This Housing LIN Viewpoint (No.117) features a Dementia Awareness Week discussion between Ali Rogan (Hornsey Consulting, Dementia and Housing Working Group) and Vanessa Pritchard-Wilkes (Housing 21, DHWG chair) with Alma Sheren at Unlocked. They make the case that housing is a critical but often overlooked factor in supporting the UK's nearly one million people living with dementia, shaping independence, safety and quality of life.

Both interviewees highlight persistent gaps: inconsistent training for housing staff, poor awareness among local authorities, confusing building design, and limited support for families navigating housing decisions after diagnosis. They stress that since dementia is a recognised disability under the Equality Act, all housing providers - not just specialist services - have a duty to make reasonable adjustments.

The conversation also covers dementia-friendly design principles and the appropriate, human-centred use of technology, warning against ageist assumptions and "shiny" tech that doesn't address real needs, and presents leadership commitment, including board-level dementia champions, as essential to embedding change.

The Viewpoint concludes that dementia-friendly housing benefits everyone, and that with so many people with dementia living in mainstream communities rather than specialist housing, providers have a genuine opportunity to improve lives through practical, everyday changes.