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

News highlights

Save the date! Housing LIN's Annual Conference 2026: Shaping homes for health, independence and connection

With heartfelt thanks to our speakers and sponsors, we are delighted to bring you two flagship events bringing together leaders from housing, health and social care. These events will explore cutting-edge housing innovations for older people, share progress on the SHAPE Exchange, and spotlight national and regional developments shaping healthier, more connected communities.

We’re thrilled to announce two unmissable conferences in early 2026:

• Newcastle, Crowne Plaza: Tuesday, 24th February

• Bristol, We The Curious: Thursday, 12th March

📅Mark your calendars! Registrations open on Wednesday, 14th January — keep an eye on your inbox for the registration email so you can secure your place.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Our Top 5 Priorities for 2026

As we step into 2026, our focus is on creating homes and communities that are inclusive, resilient and future-ready. From accessible housing and intergenerational living, to healthier neighbourhoods, digital readiness and better supported housing, our top 5 priorities highlight where action matters most. They include:

1. Accessible Homes: Ensure homes are universally accessible and inclusively designed
2. Increase the supply of intergenerational homes and communities
3. A shared commitment to healthy and caring places
4. Digital Switchover: Switching over to digital before the analogue switch-off
5. Independent Living: Raising the profile and the need for better supported housing choices

£50 million funding boost for the Disabled Facilities Grant

The Department of Health and Social Care has announced a £50 million boost for the Disabled Facilities Grant to enable more older people and people with disabilities to adapt their homes to live independently.

• Read on

John Galvin - a housing legend retires. Jeremy Porteus reflects…

On behalf of everyone at the Housing LIN, I want to wish, John Galvin, the unassuming and legendary Elderly Accommodation Counsel CEO, a very happy retirement.

John’s expertise, friendship and leadership have profoundly shaped accessible, high-quality housing information and advice for older people.

• Read on

Resource roundup

Cold Weather Conversations: A toolkit for organisations supporting older people this winter

This toolkit, developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Independent Age, in consultation with older people across Greater Manchester, is designed to help organisations communicate cold weather risks and support older adults’ health and wellbeing during winter.

• Explore this toolkit

Housing LIN's 2024-25 Year in Review

In case you missed it, last year we were pleased 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

HAPPI Hour webinars

All HAPPI Hour webinars from 2025 and beyond

Last year, we were also fortunate to host a series of truly insightful and thought-provoking HAPPI Hour webinars with an impressive array of speakers on a range of important topics, including dementia-friendly design, data and AI, community-led housing, almshouses reimagined, diversity in housing, and more. 

We’re thrilled to share recordings of all sessions, along with slides, chat transcripts, and feedback from each webinar.

We look forward to sharing exciting updates about our 2026 Spring/Summer HAPPI Hour webinar series soon.

• Watch all HAPPI Hour recordings here

What else caught our interest...

• Department of Health and Social Care paper: Adult social care priorities for local authorities: 2026 to 2027
• Habinteg policy statement: Government announcement on M4(2) and M4(3) standards in the draft National Planning Policy Framework
• Hertfordshire Growth Board framework: Opinion: Why Hertfordshire’s Healthy and Safe Places Framework Sets a New Standard for Planning
• Hospice UK news: Hospice UK response to government’s further £25m investment for hospices
• Neighbourly Lab blog: Five things to remember when including residents voices in decision making
• Linc and Pobl become Codi Group: Find out more about Codi
• The Bartlett Review: Uncovering the health inequalities in London housing
• UK Parliament report: People risk being pushed into poverty by DWP’s continuing unacceptably poor service

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

From sector-leading 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.