HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
HLINks Weekly: Housing, Health, and Social Care Latest News
30 March 2026
Last week, we were pleased to launch a new set of Quick Guides, developed in partnership with the Centre for Ageing Better, Arup and the Housing LIN.
These practical resources support the design of inclusive, age-friendly places, shaped by local authorities and communities. Covering everyday settings, they offer guidance, case studies and checklists to help adapt environments, promote accessibility, and support independence, participation and wellbeing across ageing populations in local contexts.
Particularly relevant to housing, health and social care professionals, they respond to today’s need for more inclusive communities. We look forward to showcasing the guides in a forthcoming HAPPI Hour webinar in our Spring/Summer series.
In this week’s newsletter:
- Government proposes seven New Town locations in England
- The Built Environment Committee has published its report on new towns
- New call by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Public Health Research Programme on housing, place and the built environment for an ageing population research
- New Age-friendly Built Environment Quick Guides launched
- Two new Housing LIN guest blogs: Barbara Clarenz (AtkinsRéalis) explores why “living well” should shape the future of housing, while Future Leader participant Phoebe Grey (Carless + Adams) reflects on how strong leadership often starts in unfamiliar settings.
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 proposes seven New Town locations in England
The locations of seven new towns have been named by government for consideration as part of their housebuilding programme, set out in a consultation which opened last week. However, another five sites have been dropped from their original proposals.
The deadline for responses is 19 May 2026 and the consultation can be accessed here.
The Built Environment Committee has published its report on new towns
The Built Environment Committee has published its report, ‘New Towns: Creating Communities’, following the second module of its inquiry into new towns.
The report includes a specific section on housing for older people, accessibility and inclusive design, and references to intergenerational placemaking.
New call on housing, place and the built environment for an ageing population research
The NIHR Public Health Research Programme has issued a two-stage call for bids to undertake research on housing, place and the built environment for an ageing population.
The deadline for first stage applications is 8 December 2026.
Resource Roundup
New Age-friendly Built Environment Quick Guides launched
The Centre for Ageing Better, in partnership with Arup and the Housing LIN, has launched a new suite of Age-friendly Built Environment Quick Guides to support the design and delivery of more inclusive, accessible places.
Each guide sets out ten key design considerations, supported by examples, case studies and checklists, alongside further resources and implementation guidance.
Expert Insights
Designing for dignity: A pause for thought on why ‘living well’ must lead our housing future
We are pleased to share this new Housing LIN guest blog by Barbara Clarenz, Head of Residential and Social Infrastructure, London and South East, AtkinsRéalis, who, through the example of Emily Lodge in Woking, shares how thoughtful design creates the conditions for community to flourish.
Learning to Find a Sense of Home in the Unknown
To mark International Leadership Week, this new Housing LIN guest blog by Phoebe Grey, Junior Architectural Technician at Carless + Adams, reflects on her experience on the Housing LIN Future Leaders Programme.
Linking her architectural work in the care sector to wider ideas of home and belonging, Phoebe shows how great leadership often begins in unfamiliar places.
What else caught our interest...
- BBC Politics London i-player: The latest political news, interviews and debate
- Estates Gazette article: Later living’s moment for momentum
- Inside Housing comment: Councils must take responsibility for connecting older people’s housing and support
- Inside Housing comment: New homes can bring the generations together – if we build them that way
- LGA news item: Social housing finances show improvement, but significant challenges remain as almost half of councils say budget pressure could impact housebuilding – LGA
- MHCLG consultation response: The Future Homes and Buildings Standards: 2023 consultation
- National Audit Office report: Investigation into shared ownership
- Populo Living article: Rightsizing - why affordable later living makes financial sense for a smarter, healthier future for Newham residents
- Property Week article: Why now’s a good time to rent in the later-living sector
Dates for your diary
HAPPI Hour webinars
We’re excited to announce the first five webinars in our Spring/Summer HAPPI Hour series. Reserve your place today and join us for inspiring conversations, fresh insights and engaging ideas:
- Designing Intergenerational Communities for Wellbeing and Belonging on 28th April, 4pm - 5pm;
- My Home, My Life: Housing, culture and wellbeing in later life — Insights from the Amar Bari Amar Jibon research on 5th May, 4pm - 5pm;
- Strengthening mental wellbeing through housing for an ageing population in Wales on 12th May, 4pm - 5pm;
- Housing: Still Rising to the Dementia Challenge – Dementia Friendly Fun on 19th May, 4pm - 5pm;
- SHAPE Exchange: Designing homes and communities that reduce isolation and build connection on 9th June, 4pm - 5pm.
We look forward to welcoming you to our webinars! In the meantime, you can 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
- UK Cohousing Network: Living in Cohousing: Is It for Me? – Evening Online Cohort Course, 27 May, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm
- UK Cohousing Network: Inside a Cohousing Community: How It Works in Practice – Leeds Tickets, 25 April, from 1 pm to 5 pm
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