Labour’s first Budget doesn’t budget for older people’s or supported housing

Today, Rachel Reeves MP, presented her first Budget as the Chancellor of the Exchequer since the Labour Party won the general election. Faced with a £40 billion deficit, she backed up key Labour election promises on health and infrastructure projects, including an additional £500 million to top-up the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP).

While housebuilding and investment to deliver an ambition to build 1.5m new homes over 5 years forms a key component of the government’s housing growth plans took the headlines, there was no specific mention of generating a new generation of age-friendly homes and communities in her statement. However, following the recent work of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, it is hoped that some of the new money for the AHP will be prioritised to meet the need for more housing for older people, as well as supported housing.

However, there was a sliver of a silver lining with an additional £86million allocation for Disabled Facilities Grants to be shared across councils in England. This extra funding is expected to benefit 7,800 homes, aiming to reduce hospitalisations and prolong people’s independence at home.

Commenting on the Budget, the Housing LIN’s CEO, Jeremy Porteus, said: 

“The absence of any specific reference in the Budget to fiscal interventions that can reboot older people’s housing and supported housing reveals that there sectors are - for now - low down on the government’s macro economic priorities. To address this, we need to better articulate and drive home the message that investing in the supply of retirement housing and supported housing is money well spent, cost-effective and a driver for economic growth. From evidencing how the preventative aspects of ‘care ready’ housing relieves system and resource pressures on stretched NHS and social care resources to highlighting how age-friendly, safe and decent homes for older and disabled adults also improves quality of life outcomes, we cannot afford not to invest in more affordable accommodation for those in need of housing, care and support.”