This week's HLINks: 3 - 6 April 2023

Welcome to this week’s #HLINks. For those of you surprised to receive our e-bulletin today, we have brought it forward by one day due to the Easter break.

The main news story of the week is the government announcement of the long-awaited Older People’s Housing Task Force. Included in their ‘Next Steps’ statement about the funding of Adult Social Care, the Task Force will seek to decide how best to provide a greater range of suitable housing depending on the support people need whether in their own home or a residential home. However, there is sector disappointment that the £300m Housing Transformation Fund has been abandoned and the amount of money promised for social care in the 2021 White Paper has been halved.

In other news, for the first time in over a decade, we highlighted a rare sponsorship opportunity available with the Housing LIN to help us create an exciting new brand identity for our news platform, this e-bulletin and information sharing activities!   

And check out Tony Watts’ OBE Housing LIN viewpoint in which he describes a '21st Century Almshouse for Bristol' that may offer a way forward for inter-generational housing in the city. I was also delighted to present at this week’s University of the Third Age webinar on ‘Our Homes for our Future’ and to generate a stimulating debate with members.

Other things that caught my interest this week include:

• The ONS have published their analysis on changes in our older population since 2011
• UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge story about the London Rebuilding Society
• The Dunhill Medical Trust blog on age-friendly communities, coproduction and community involvement
• Cochrane UK publish evidence on preventing falls in older people
• The Times article on how bad homes cost the NHS
• CACHE/Housing Options Scotland podcast on ethnic minorities and older people
• Inside Housing reports that the first LGBTQ+ scheme for the city is back on track
• Scottish Housing News article a downsizer market
• Local Government First article on the health effects on urban development
• Leeds Beckett University blog on places, spaces and social relations
• The Hewitt Review on Integrated Care Systems

And, if you haven’t booked you places, details are now out about our Spring/Summer series of HAPPI Hour sessions. We have a wide-ranging programme of FREE webinars for you to choose from kicking off on Tuesday, 18 April looking back at the Archbishops’ Care Commission with Commission chair, Dr Anna Dixon, Baroness Andrews, Faith in Society’s Jenny Kartupelis, WM ADASS coproduction network lead Rich Amos and, Boris Worrall, CEO of Rooftop Housing Group.

On the wider conferences front, we are pleased to promote the following:

• Mayday Trust Housing First: a strengths-based perspective webinar on 13 April
• United St Saviours Almshouse Longevity Study report launch on 20 April
• Feeling at Home findings on people with a learning disability on 26 April
• Future of London housing and integrated care: how can we have most impact? on 4 May
• Property Week Later Living conference – Unlocking the potential of the later living market, 22 June announced

Lastly, tomorrow is #GlobalHealthDay and we will be drawing attention to our health and housing resources on our website. And, next week, ahead of next month’s Steering Group meeting, look out for the publication of the Housing LIN Cymru prospectus.

Stay connected, stay curious!

Jeremy Porteus