Blog by Bruce Moore, Chief Executive, Housing 21.
Housing is a fundamental right and necessity, but regrettably, good housing solutions are still not sufficiently available and accessible for everyone. There is an urgent need for us to do more to campaign and make the case for what may seem self-evident.
- Isn’t it obvious that if someone is not well housed then their opportunities in life will be
diminished?- How can a child succeed in school and get a good education if they do not have a stable home environment?
- How can someone get a good job, raise a family or contribute to their community if they do not have a home?
- And for older people, how can they be expected to continue to live well, with dignity and autonomy, if they do not have the support of a suitable housing solution?
I firmly believe that everyone, regardless of age and background, deserves access to a home that meets their needs and supports their wellbeing. Living in the right home is absolutely fundamental to a healthy, happy and safe life.
The reality of an ageing population
But we also need to wake up to the fact that we have an ageing population.
- Over 70 percent of household growth between 2014 and 2039 will be from households where the householder is aged 60 or older.
- The primary householder for some 30 percent of UK households is already aged over 65 and this is set to continue to increase.
- The number of older households in the UK has increased by over 20 percent in just the past 10 years.
Housing is fundamental to health and care
As the population ages, the pressures on the health service, social care and the entire economy are set to increase with greater responsibilities resting on an ever-smaller proportion of the working age population.
Poor-quality or inaccessible housing can worsen long-term health conditions, result in social isolation, and be a significant contributory factor in around half a million injuries requiring medical attention or hospital admission (and delayed discharge) that costs the NHS an additional (and avoidable) £1.4 billion a year. The really important message is that living in appropriate housing can help to address this. Every decision about care should be prefaced by a decision about housing.
I often use the analogy of a sink with the hot tap for health spending and the cold tap for care costs, but without the sink and plug of housing a lot of those revenues flow away and are not as effective as they could or should be.
The need for specialist housing options
Not every older person wants to or needs to live in the types of specialist housing with the care and/or support that Housing 21 provides, but there is no getting away from the fact that there is an under supply of this type of accommodation when compared to other countries or projections of the growing demand.
The lack of provision and choice of specialist accommodation for older people means that many have no realistic option but to remain in inappropriate housing and are often forced to live in homes which are unsuitable, unsafe or unaffordable. Paradoxically, this is often in larger family sized properties that are in high demand. By improving our offer for older people, we could also be removing a bottleneck and creating a multiplier effect.
Worth the investment
Specialist housing for older people is not as cheap or easy to build as general housing, but we need to make sure that in our rush for growth we don’t lose sight of the types of housing where there is the greatest and growing need, and the biggest opportunity to impact the health of our ageing population.
We must continue to invest in our existing housing provision for older people to ensure it remains contemporary, fit for purpose, and a desirable choice, whilst also building more properties to meet the growing need, reflecting the diversity of the older population and demand for more choice over service and delivery models.
If we get it right, the benefits could be transformational. I have seen the positive impact the right home with the right support can have in enabling people to regain or maintain their independence, establish social connections and live a fuller life with dignity and autonomy as they age.
Head and heart
There is a logical economic case for greater investment in age-appropriate housing to relieve pressure on the costs of health and social care, and free up ‘under-occupied’ potential family homes but there is also a powerful case to say it is about doing the right thing and allowing people to continue living well with independence, choice and control as they age in a place they are happy to call home.