HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News

News Highlights

Healthy Housing for Older People: reflections from Housing 21’s Annual Conference

Last week, we were delighted to attend Housing 21’s annual conference, where Housing LIN's CEO Jeremy Porteus highlighted six ‘Ps’: person-centred development, preventative housing, partnerships, products, places, and pride.

These principles guide collaboration across housing, health, and care to create healthier, inclusive communities supporting older people’s wellbeing.

• Read reflections

Last few places left! Housing LIN Cymru Symposium - Making Wales a Great Place to Grow Old

We invite you to join us at Housing LIN Cymru’s annual Symposium, bringing together members of our Steering Group and other experts to showcase innovative services, schemes, and projects that promote age-friendly communities across Wales. 

📅 Tuesday 4th November 2025
🕓 11:00am - 3:30pm
🌎 Neuadd Maldwyn in Welshpool, SY21 7FE

Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• Attend event

Resource Roundup

Healthy Homes Standard - a foundation for healthier and resilient communities

We are pleased to see that the Government has published this concise guidance on design requirements and best practices for Homes England, development partners, and design consultants involved in funding, planning, and designing new homes, to promote accessible and healthier living environments.

It can also be used by other housing providers, developers, and design teams as guidance to inform good practice in the design of new homes.

• Read guidance

Housing LIN supports Get Online Week 2025!

Last week, we were proud to support Get Online Week, the UK’s largest digital inclusion campaign, led by the Good Things Foundation.

Through initiatives like TAPPI (Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation), it promotes digital skills in housing and care, enhancing residents’ independence, wellbeing, social connection, and confidence online.

In addition, read about our research project in collaboration with Clarion Futures, testing low-cost technologies to help reduce social isolation among older residents in social housing, with a view to scaling successful approaches more widely.

• Read on

Webinar recording now available - Towards age-friendly futures: Local practice and perspectives

As part of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce’s recommendation to support the development of age-friendly communities, we were pleased to host this HAPPI Hour webinar exploring what creating age-friendly futures really means, from policy and research to practical, real-life impact.

A big thank you to Dr. Hannah R. Marston (The Open University) and Iain Scott (Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture) for their valuable contributions.

• Watch recording

Expert Insights

Social model of disability and the DDA

In this new Housing LIN guest blog, Kate Sheehan, Occupational Therapist and Fellow at the University of Worcester, explores the social model of disability and the impact of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Reflecting on her early training rooted in the medical model, Sheehan recounts how Michael Oliver’s Politics of Disablement shifted her perspective toward understanding societal barriers.

• Read blog

What else caught our interest...

• Born in Bradford NHS survey: Healthy Homes
• Care Quality Commission report: State of Care
• Carers UK report: State of Caring 2025: The cost of caring - the impact of caring across carers' lives
• Healthy Homes Hub case study: Combating fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency
• Inside Housing article: How to work alongside the healthcare sector
• Inside Housing article (subscribers only): In the rush to build homes, do we risk those homes not being safe, accessible and adaptable?
• Living with Disability news item: Spinal Injuries Association Demands more Wheelchair Accessible Homes
• Skills for Care report: The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2025
• The Housing Forum report: New lessons for new towns
• Zemplee (global) report: Top 10 US Cities to Age in Place in 2025

Events supported by the Housing LIN

• Monitoring Services in the Spotlight: The Importance of Procedures and Data Accuracy with Appello on 19th November, 2pm - 3pm

Dates For Your Diary

Autumn/Winter HAPPI Hour webinars

We’re now four sessions into our exciting HAPPI Hour webinar series, and there’s so much more to come! Join expert-led discussions on key topics in housing and ageing. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it!

Browse the full programme and register your free place today:

• Driving Housing Delivery through Market Engagement on 28th October 2025, 4pm - 5pm
• 30 Years On: Reflecting on the Disability Discrimination Act and the road ahead on 11th November 2025, 3.30pm - 5pm
• Homes Built Together: Exploring Community-Led Housing & Cohousing on 18th November 2025, 4pm - 5pm
• Housing LIN Scotland Presents on 25th November 2025, 4pm - 5pm
• What the Housing Strategy means for supported and specialist housing on 2nd December 2025, 4pm - 5pm
• Becoming a Dementia-Friendly Organisation – Back to Basics on 9th December 2025, 4pm - 5pm
• Designing for Tomorrow: Future-Proof, Age-Friendly Homes on 16th December 2025, 4pm - 5pm

Want to know what we're working on?

From cutting-edge research with universities to creating tools that shape policy and practice, we’re driving innovation in the sector. Find out more!

We also offer tailored support to help you navigate today’s complex challenges, whether strategic or operational.

Let’s work together! Email us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or explore our Research and Advisory Services to learn more.