Toolkit launched to support provision of housing for elderly
A consortium of housing partners has launched a toolkit to assist local government deliver appropriate specialist housing for the elderly.
The Housing in Later Life publication - from McCarthy & Stone, the National Housing Federation, the Housing Learning and Improvement Network, Contact Consulting and Tetlow King Planning - encourages local authorities to unite planning, housing and social care policies, emphasising the benefits of specialist housing for older residents.
Construction of specialist homes for the elderly is now lower than in the 1980s with less than 2000 built for sale in 2010, figures suggest.
The toolkit intends to support local planning authorities accommodate the appropriate levels of specialist housing in their areas and provide information on how development regimes in England can be used to improve housing provision for the elderly.
National Housing Federation policy officer, Amy Swan, said: ‘Integrating housing with health and social care can enable older people to live independently and with dignity - and housing associations that provide specialist housing are crucial in making this happen.’