The Future of Housing, Wellbeing and the Elderly

This white paper by HOUSE Research in Flanders, Belgium, brings together four years of research into housing, well-being and older people, clustering the results into 10 core insights, practical tools and a clear call to action.

Coproduced with a panel and guidance group involving many (future) older people and professional partners, the white paper shares 10 key insights on:

• what contributes to the living well-being of older people 
• how we can better support future housing choices
• what are the opportunities and challenges of innovative forms of housing, and
• how design can contribute to living well-being

In particular, it identifies that:

• Ageing well in the right place requires a joint effort from policymakers. It found that in Flanders housing, welfare, care and space are still too often approached as separate policy areas today. HOUSE advocates for more coordination and shared objectives, so that living environments can better support the well-being of the elderly.
   
• Making more space for sharing, in and around the home. It found that many older people are open to shared activities, support and spaces, as long as autonomy and privacy are maintained. It considers that there are great opportunities for housing sector innovation in this space.

Note: The report is currently only available in Dutch. However, we look forward to the HOUSE Research team writing a guest blog for us and presenting at a future Housing LIN HAPI Hour webinar.