New APPG Inquiry Launched on Creating Intergenerational Communities
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People (APPG-HCOP) has launched a new inquiry on how the built environment can create intergenerational communities in both mainstream and specialist housing. Co-chaired by Lord Best and Anna Dixon MP, the inquiry, which begins on 4 March 2025, will run for one year and aims to explore how to improve the intergenerational experience of older people, based on where they live and their surroundings.
The Housing LIN will serve as the Secretariat, with a dedicated microsite offering updates and progress reports throughout the inquiry.
Building on previous HAPPI reports, the inquiry will focus on the barriers to delivering intergenerational communities and the impact of living in environments which have been intentionally designed to foster intergenerational connections, with a particular emphasis on the health and wellbeing benefits for older people. Key areas of exploration include the creation of intergenerational communities in new developments and the lessons that can inform future housing strategies, particularly in New Towns and on Grey Belt land.
The inquiry will make recommendations to government bodies, planners, investors, and housing and care providers, with regular updates available via the APPG’s microsite.
Lord Best, Co-Chair, APPG-HCOP, said:
“With a government target of 1.5 million new homes, is there a danger of developments exclusively comprising accommodation for younger households? Is there a value in mixing age groups, and ensuring provision for older people, in ways that help people of different ages to provide mutual support? I hope this Inquiry – at a time when government is promoting New Towns, urban extensions, ‘grey belt’ development and more – will shed light on these issues”.
Lois Beech, Consultancy and Partnerships Manager, Housing LIN, added:
"Creating mixed-age communities is vital because intergenerational living benefits everyone—combatting loneliness, fostering shared support, and strengthening social bonds. This isn’t a new idea; for centuries, communities thrived across generations. But as society has grown more age-segregated, we must now be intentional in rebuilding connections that enrich lives at every stage. I am looking forward in this Inquiry to uncovering the intentional ways we are bringing different age groups together through the built environment."
Rachel Crownshaw, Group Managing Director, Communities at Places For People, commented:
“Intergenerational Communities where people of all ages, including young and old, have meaningful relationships with one another are central to creating places where everyone can thrive. At Places for People we are leading on the delivery of new places across England and Scotland and investing in local communities by taking a holistic approach to the challenges we face as a society. This includes work to build a 10,000-home new community at Gilston, East Hertfordshire, as well as smaller projects to meet the needs of existing communities.
“The Government’s ambition on housebuilding is great to see. We now need a cross-party commitment to a long-term, integrated and equitable approach to housing, health and social care that transcends political cycles. Only this will pave the way for the right new homes and mixed communities to be built at scale, and ensure everyone – at all life stages – can flourish as part of thriving communities for generations to come.”
Anna Dixon MP, Co-Chair, APPG-HCOP, said:
“I have spent my career working to improve outcomes for older people, and I am delighted to be able to play a key role in this inquiry as we look at how to create homes and communities that bring different age groups together.
I believe that mixed-age communities can help address a number of the issues that I have been working to tackle since coming to Parliament, such as loneliness and care in the community.”
For those interested in exploring the wider concept of intergenerational or multigenerational housing, the Housing LIN's dedicated Intergenerational Housing pages offer a wealth of resources, including reports, case studies, and examples of best practices.
For more information about the APPG-HCOP, its previous inquiries, resulting reports, and recommendations, click here.