One Year On: What’s Happened to the Older People’s Housing Taskforce Report?

One year after the publication of Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population (opens new window), it is an apt moment to reflect on progress. The Older People’s Housing Taskforce (OPHT) report (2023–2024) has faced an unusually difficult journey. Commissioned by the previous government, it endured a ministerial change only six months into its work. Although the Taskforce delivered its report on time in May 2024, the announcement of a general election the very next day threatened to bury it. Fortunately, the new government met early with the Chair and published the report in November 2024, praising its thorough and well-researched recommendations and promising to consider them within a forthcoming long-term housing strategy, originally expected in Spring 2025.

Importantly, the OPHT set out nine core recommendations tackling both supply and demand challenges but emphasised that without the tenth—creating collective leadership for change—implementation will stall. Effective action requires breaking down siloed working and to encourage older people to plan for their future needs and policymakers to plan proactively for a fast-growing, increasingly diverse ageing population.

Momentum initially seemed promising, with Lord Best raising a parliamentary question in December 2024 about implementing the recommendations. Yet progress stalled. By July 2025, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee expressed concern about the lack of detailed government response. Their letter to the then Secretary of State and Deputy Prime Minister came just before her forced resignation in September 2025, after which the Minister for Housing again insisted that decisions must await the National Housing Strategy—still unpublished.

And, for those working to improve care and housing for older people, this lack of urgency is sadly unsurprising. Ageism remains widespread, even as the UK approaches “super-ageing” status with more than 20% of the population over 65. Despite the significant implications for housing, health and infrastructure, policy attention remains dominated by a general focus on delivering 1.5 million new homes rather than the recognition for a more nuanced approach. As evidenced by Homes England in their report ‘Measuring the Wellbeing and Fiscal Impacts of Older People’s Housing’ (opens new window), we know age-friendly and inclusive housing is well evidenced to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital admissions, cut costs for the NHS and local authorities, and “unlock” under-occupied family homes—potentially stimulating the wider market and indirectly supporting first-time buyers. Yet these benefits still struggle to gain political traction. The recently announced 2026-2036 ‘Social and Affordable Homes Programme (opens new window)’ is more encouraging. It contains direct reference to the new Homes England ‘Healthy Homes’ (opens new window) guidance which promotes a range of accessible, adaptable and sustainable housing design and qualitative built environment interventions that should be more appropriate for later living.

Chairing the Taskforce was an absolute privilege, supported by dedicated and expert panel members and contributors. But what once felt like holding a “special” opportunity now feels more like being caught in a bruising rugby match—passing the ‘special’ ball on and hoping government can carry it over the line. With anticipation, caution and a measure of hope, the sector now awaits the long-delayed National Housing Strategy.

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If you found this of interest, you may also like to know that the new five-year programme, ‘Suitable Housing for an Ageing Population Evidence (SHAPE) Exchange’ established by the Housing LIN and funded by the Vivensa Foundation, is designed to take forward the Taskforce recommendations. Further details will be released in Spring 2026. While we wait for the National Housing Strategy, the sector is not standing still.