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

News highlights

Future Leaders Alumni gather at Stirling prize-winning Appleby Blue for inspiring Housing LIN event

Last week, Housing LIN’s Future Leaders Alumni convened at Bermondsey’s Appleby Blue almshouse for an inspiring event highlighting age-friendly design, health and resident voice.

Attendees heard from Arup’s Carly Dickson, alongside current and former Future Leaders Phoebe Newton and Faye Sanders, and explored the award-winning scheme on a guided tour led by Lizzie Lynch of United St Saviour’s Charity.

Special thanks to Sovereign Network Group for their ongoing support in celebrating emerging leadership.

• Read the full story here

The last APPG Inquiry evidence session on Intergenerational Communities takes place

The final session of the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People’s Inquiry into Creating Intergenerational Communities was held online last week.

At this session, co-chaired by Lord Best and Anna Dixon MP, St Monica Trust, The Riverside Group and Pozzoni Architecture shared examples of developing and managing housing and neighbourhoods, facilitating intergenerational connections.

• Read on here

Resource roundup

Housing LIN's 2024-25 Year in Review

We’re excited to share Housing LIN’s 2024–25 Year in Review, celebrating a year of progress, collaboration and impact across housing, health and social care!

This report highlights the people, ideas and resources improving housing for our ageing population, people with learning disabilities and autistic people. 

Discover the stories, insights and achievements that shaped our year and hear directly from our CEO in his welcome message.

• Read Housing LIN's 2024-25 Year in Review

Primary and community healthcare support for people living with frailty

This National Audit Office report assesses how effectively the government manages frailty outside hospitals, exploring support for people living with frailty, emerging challenges, and connections to new neighbourhood health service plans, with some references to home-based care.

• Read report

Homes For All: A collective manifesto to end the housing emergency for everyone in Wales

Last week, Shelter Wales published Homes For All, a manifesto highlighting Wales’ housing emergency, revealing limited specialist housing options, poor-quality homes, and the significant impact on older people’s health and ability to age well.

• Read report

New HCR Law report shares expert insights into the later living sector

On 1 October 2025, International Day of Older Persons, HCR Law hosted a roundtable in Cheltenham attended by Jeremy Porteus (CEO, Housing LIN).

Chaired by Professor Julienne Meyer CBE, the discussion explored the Older People’s Housing Taskforce findings, the future of older people’s housing, and its connections to health, social care, and innovative solutions.

This report highlights the key findings and takeaways from that roundtable, emphasising the urgent need to address housing for a super-ageing population.

• Read summary of the key findings

Expert insights

An almshouse for the 21st Century – Appleby Blue, Bermondsey

In this new Housing LIN blog, Stephen Witherford, co-founder of Witherford Watson Mann architects, explores how Britain’s housing crisis is not just about numbers, but about rebuilding community.

He reflects on Appleby Blue, the Stirling Prize–winning reimagining of the almshouse created with United St Saviour’s Charity, which offers older residents connection rather than retreat.

Join Stephen and others in tomorrow's HAPPI Hour webinar, Designing for tomorrow: Future-proof, age-friendly homes (Tuesday, 16th December).

• Read blog

What else caught our interest...

• CACHE report: The 2026 Scottish Election: Housing Evidence Priorities for a New Government
• Habinteg story: Why council-funded home adaptations need a person-centered approach
• Homes England strategy: New Homes England strategy to supercharge collaboration and accelerate delivery of new homes, sustainable places and local growth
• Inside Housing comment pieces (subscribers only): We need a united front for charitable housing providers
• Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government: A National Plan to End Homelessness
• MUARG research report: Finding Meaning Behind Bars: Activities For Older Prisoners In England and Wales
• Science Direct article: Scaling home designs for healthy cognitive ageing: a realist evaluation perspective
• Scottish Federation of Housing Associations: Practice Note for Scotland’s Social Housing Sector: Empowering Social Landlords to support people affected by dying, death and bereavement
• UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning report: The Cohesiveness of Technology in Later Life: Findings from the Technology In Later Life (TILL) Project
• World Health Organization case study: Compassionate Places: Place Quality Model for healthy, human-centric design, planning standards and placemaking

Dates for your diary

Autumn/Winter HAPPI Hour webinars

We’re at the end of our Autumn/Winter HAPPI Hour webinar series, with our final session taking place during this year’s HAPPI Awareness Week!

We are honoured that Lord Best and Stephen Witherford - from this year’s Stirling Prize-winning architect’s practice for United Saint Saviour’s Charity’s almshouse, Appleby Blue - will also be joining us in tomorrow's HAPPI Hour webinar, Designing for tomorrow: Future-proof, age-friendly homes (Tuesday, 16th December 2025 from 4pm - 5pm). 

Sign up to watch expert-led discussions on key topics in housing and ageing. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it!

• Attend webinar

Want to know what we're working on at Housing LIN?

From cutting-edge research with universities to creating tools that shape organisational 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! Please email us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or explore our award-winning Research and Advisory Services to learn more.