Too many older Londoners are unable to access the housing they need to live independently for longer, according to a new report.
The report by think tank Centre for London calls for a stronger and more coordinated approach to building homes that suit London’s diverse population of older residents.
It says that London is developing less than half of the new specialist homes needed overall, as land costs make other forms of housing more attractive to developers.
Inner London boroughs are only building 25% of the homes required each year to reach London-wide targets.
Outer London is doing better, but homes are not evenly distributed between boroughs. In some local authorities, the number of new homes is actually negative, as existing older people’s housing is converted to other uses.
The report argues that this gap between what older people need and what is actually available is likely to continue to grow: the number of Londoners aged 65+ is expected to increase by more than a quarter (29%) over the next decade.
Most of this growth will be in inner London.
The report also highlights that building new homes alone will not be enough to ensure older people have a genuine choice about where they want to live. Existing homes should be made easier to adapt and new homes should be designed with adaptations from the outset.
Over half (52%) of Londoners over the age of 65 have a disability, compared to just nine per cent of those under 65, so it is vital that homes are fit for people to age well and live independently.
‘All Londoners deserve to have a genuine choice about where and how to live as they age but we can’t offer choice if there aren’t enough homes for older people to start with,’ said research director, Claire Harding.
‘It’s vital that policy makers take this need seriously, and focus both on providing enough homes and making sure people understand the options available to them as they age.’
Enfield Council’s housing and regeneration director, Joanne Drew added: ‘As we tackle the housing crisis, local authorities have a key role to play in helping residents make best use of existing homes and being innovative with the types of housing that come forward through development. This Centre for London report puts an important focus on the needs of older Londoners.
‘Through Enfield’s intergenerational design competition we explored how design can create multi-generational housing that works for everyone. The market is not currently providing these sorts of schemes so we concur with the report that local authorities should be rewarded for proposing solutions that work for older people.’
Photo Credit – Pixabay
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