The government has confirmed plans for a cross-department task force on housing for older people, including a strong focus on housing with care.
The task force announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will bring different government departments together to explore ways to expand housing options for older people across the country.
“For older people trapped in non-decent or unsuitable accommodation, the UK government will work to increase the choices available to them,” the White Paper states.
“A new Task Force will be launched shortly to look at ways better choice, quality and security of housing for older people can be provided, including how to address regional disparities in supply of appropriate and where necessary specialised housing,” it adds.
Associated Retirement Communities Operators (ARCO), which first called for a housing with care task force in February 2020, welcomed the move as a “game changing” commitment.
“This task force has the potential to benefit hundreds of thousands of older people around the country and to put rocket-boosters on the growth of Integrated Retirement Communities,” said executive director Michael Voges.
“The task force will bring different government departments together and needs to create the policy framework for the sector to flourish – something that will make a huge difference to the lives of older people.
Retirement living developer McCarthy Stone deemed the task force an “important first step towards addressing the historic undersupply of good housing options for older people while also freeing up existing homes for younger people”.
“We would like the Task Force to be given a real mandate and the necessary support to help create a sustainable, affordable and viable model for all forms of later life housing, ranging from bungalows to retirement and Extra Care housing, that works for both consumers and operators,” said chief executive John Tonkiss.
“This will require wholesale changes to the current policy landscape. We hope the Task Force takes forward our recommendations of developing a bold and ambitious framework including reforming planning, increasing supply of new retirement properties from c.7,000 to 30,000 a year, and helping Homes England to make 10 per cent of their new housing designed specifically for older people.”
Tonkiss continued: “We also want to see a stamp duty exemption for older people downsizing into a retirement community.”
