Aging Population's Residential Requirements
In a significant step towards addressing the housing needs of an ageing population, the UK government has approved a comprehensive National Older People's Housing Strategy, aimed at improving housing options and support for older people through to 2030. The strategy, formally approved in June 2025, focuses on enhancing independence and wellbeing for older residents by increasing the range of housing available, ensuring homes meet modern safety and quality standards, and supporting people to live independently for longer.
The strategy, which evolved from a 2021 webinar, emphasizes improved housing choice, offering both mainstream age-friendly housing and specialist housing tailored to older people's unique needs. It also prioritizes high-quality and safe homes, focusing on warmth, energy efficiency, and adaptation to residents' needs.
A significant government commitment to social and affordable housing investment was announced alongside the strategy. A £39 billion fund was allocated in mid-2025 to support new social housing development over the next decade, with expectations that it will include homes suitable for older people. However, the exact allocation for older people's housing within this fund is yet to be detailed.
Advocacy groups like ARCO have called for at least 20% of this investment to target specialist housing for older people to improve their quality of life and free up general social housing for others. The strategy is seen as critical for addressing regional inequalities and the specific challenges faced by older adults, particularly in Northern England.
Academics and policy experts continue to urge the government to adopt a cross-sectoral national housing strategy that prioritizes ageing in place and invests in age-friendly, accessible homes. The strategy is expected to integrate housing improvements into broader social care and health strategies to better support the ageing population across the UK.
The webinar, organised by Abdul A Ravat (Abbeyfield Living Society, NHF Older Persons Housing Group) and another individual, identified 15 key asks for Government, including a National Housing Strategy for older people, designating a certain percentage of new homes for older people, promoting multi-generational communities, recognizing a diverse ageing population, creating a new funding regime for older people's housing, guaranteeing housing provision, reforming the Older Person's Shared Ownership model, supporting remodelling of older specialist housing stock, preventing loss of stock from the sector, adopting an Accessible Homes Standard, supporting private renters, providing rental income certainty, ensuring adequate funding for staffing and technology in sheltered and extra care housing, creating a national advice hub for older people and their families, and upgrading existing homes.
Charity Bank provided support for the webinar, and London boroughs are encouraged to reduce spending on council housing. Images for this article were provided by Campbell Tickell and LOGAN WEAVER via UnSplash. This article was written by Liz Zacharias, Director of Campbell Tickell.
The impact of the new immigration policy on the construction sector is yet to be determined. However, the implementation of the National Older People's Housing Strategy is a promising step towards ensuring suitable housing for older people, particularly those on middle incomes, as discussed in the webinar held on 18th March.
- The UK government's National Older People's Housing Strategy aims to enhance housing options for older people, focusing on improving safety, quality, and independence.
- A significant investment of £39 billion has been allocated to support new social housing development, with expectations that it will include homes suitable for older people.
- Advocacy groups are calling for at least 20% of this investment to target specialist housing for older people to improve their quality of life.
- The strategy is expected to integrate housing improvements with broader social care and health strategies, prioritizing age-friendly, accessible homes for the aging population.
- The housing strategy also emphasizes the importance of improving housing choice, investing in multi-generational communities, and reforming the Older Person's Shared Ownership model.
