HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
16 March 2026
For all those who attended, thank you for making this year's Housing LIN Conferences such a success!
Last week at We The Curious, Bristol, we explored the future of ageing, housing, community and health with an inspiring lineup of speakers. From Ian Workman (Homes England), highlighting specialist housing, to Nick Hibberd (Bristol City Council) emphasising housing’s role in adult social care, the day showcased the power of collaboration.
Our CEO, Jeremy Porteus, shared the Housing LIN’s 🌟5 top priorities for 2026🌟 and introduced the new SHAPE Exchange programme with Vivensa Foundation, aiming to create age-friendly homes through insight, innovation and partnership.
Thank you to speakers, sponsors and delegates who made this day unforgettable! We look forward to sharing an overview of the presentations and slides in due course.
In this week's newsletter:
- Government establishes a Supported Housing Advisory Panel
- New guide by the Dementia and Housing Working Group to support dementia-friendly housing released
- Findings from the 2025 Adult Social Care provider technology survey
- Housing LIN guest blog by the University of Exeter on what research is out there on extra care housing for older people
- And what else caught our interest, including housing policy for older and BME residents, accessible and healthy homes, community-led housing, older people’s advocacy, social care intersections, strategic partnerships and housing finance schemes in the UK.
Also, look out for the launch of our new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People Inquiry report at the House of Lords later this week, focusing on creating mixed-age communities in both mainstream and specialist housing.
Thank you for joining us each week and being part of our learning community.
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Best wishes, The Housing LIN Team |
News Highlights
Government establishes a Supported Housing Advisory Panel
Under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, the government has established the Supported Housing Advisory Panel.
This panel will play a key role in providing valuable information and expert advice relating to supported exempt accommodation over the next 5 years.
Resource roundup
New guide to support dementia-friendly housing released
Launched at the Housing LIN Conference in Bristol by Housing 21’s CEO, Bruce Moore, this new Dementia and Housing Working Group guide provides useful information and practical guidance to advise housing organisations, corporate bodies and sector professionals on how housing, its design and supporting services can help improve and maintain the wellbeing of people affected by dementia.
Findings from the 2025 Adult Social Care provider technology survey
The Department of Health and Social Care have published the results from their survey of adult social care providers to better understand care technology adoption and barriers to further adoption in relation to domiciliary and residential care, providing illuminating findings ahead of the digital switchover by January 2027.
Expert Insights
Extra care housing for older people – what research is out there?
We are delighted to share a new Housing LIN guest blog by Sian de Bell and Zhivko Zhelev, Research Fellows at the University of Exeter, exploring the evidence on extra care housing for older people in the UK.
We were delighted to be joined by Sian and Zhivko at last week's Housing LIN Conference in Bristol. We look forward to sharing an overview of the presentation and slides in due course.
What else caught our interest...
- BME National blog: ‘My home, my life’: Why listening to older Bangladeshi residents must shape housing policy and practice?
- Building Design article: Designing for intergenerational care: an innovative way to bring people together and support communities
- Independent Age blog: Scotland Manifesto: Appoint an Older People’s Commissioner for Scotland
- LABM item: New report says health equity must be central to Warm Homes Plan
- Scottish Housing news item: Hanover Scotland leads digital trial to reshape daily support for older residents
- TCPA resource update: Campaign for Healthy Homes
- UK Cohousing Network blog: Why Community-Led Housing Can Be a Strategic Partner for Homes England
- University of Bristol PhD opportunity: Intersections of housing and older adult social care
- WSLaw blog: The 0.1% Social Housing Loan Scheme: What we know so far
Dates for your diary
HAPPI Hour webinars
We look forward to sharing exciting updates about our Spring/Summer HAPPI Hour webinar series commencing in April 2026.
In the meantime, you can now access the full recordings, slides, chat reports and feedback for all previous sessions, featuring diverse speakers and topics from dementia-friendly design and AI to community-led housing, almshouses and diversity.
Events supported by the Housing LIN
- Property Week: Later Living and Care Conference, 25 March 2026
- UK Cohousing Network: Living in Cohousing: Is It for Me? – 3-Evening Online Cohort Course, 27 May, 2026 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm
- UK Cohousing Network: Inside a Cohousing Community: How It Works in Practice – Leeds Tickets, 25 Apr 25 from 1 pm to 5 pm
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Let’s work together! Please email us at consultancy@housinglin.org.uk or explore our award-winning Research and Advisory Services to learn more.