Forward Planning: A Vision of Ageing at Home

Co-produced with the Centre for Ageing Better, this Fabian Society research calls for the government to act now to prevent a crisis for older people unable to access and live in good quality mainstream homes. It highlights an urgent need to ensure more mainstream homes are decent and accessible for an ageing society.

Supporting older homeowners to have decent and accessible homes will improve health, keep older people living independently, improve living standards and free up properties for others. But there are few suitable new build options, improvements are expensive, and support is inadequate. In particular, the report found:

• Around 1.9m owner-occupiers aged 55 and over live in a home that fails to meet the existing Decent Homes Standard.
• Just 8 per cent of older owner-occupied homes have the four basic accessibility features. 
• Older homeowners are much more likely to live in poor quality and inaccessible housing than their younger counterparts.

The report, the result of the joint research project A Vision of Ageing at Home, calls for government to tackle the growing crisis in mainstream housing for older people. This means both increasing the number of new homes that are accessible, and supporting existing homeowners to make their property safe and suitable for older age. To deliver this, the report recommends:

1. Requiring all new homes to meet the accessible and adaptable standard, implemented alongside reforms to cut development costs and boost supply.
2. Collaborating with the housing sector to establish an ambitious national target for wheelchair-accessible mainstream new-builds.
3. Ensuring access to trusted practical housing repair and adaptation services, including independent information and advice.