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What to expect this HAPPI Awareness Week and how to get involved!

HAPPI Awareness Week is a week-long observance of care-ready accommodation and age-friendly house services. It was launched in 2020 by the Housing LIN to help promote what's best in housing for an ageing population.

This year, HAPPI Awareness Week takes place from Monday, 12 December to Friday, 16 December. Throughout the week we will share a selection of daily news items, guest blogs and announcements celebrating different aspects of the 'care ready' HAPPI design principles.

What is Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI)?

It’s been 13 years since the first Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) report was published. Commissioned by the then Department of Communities and Local Government (now the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) and the Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Social Care), it was managed by the Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England).

The Panel - chaired by Lord Best - comprised of eminent architects, academics and construction industry leaders who set out 10 key HAPPI principles. They go beyond good age-friendly design and are particularly relevant to the spectrum of older persons' housing which needs to offer an attractive alternative to the family home and be able to adapt over time to meet changing needs. They reflect:

  • Daylight in the home and in shared spaces
  • Balconies and outdoor space
  • Adaptability and 'care ready' design
  • Positive use of circulation space
  • Shared facilities and 'hubs'
  • Plants, trees, and the natural environment
  • Energy efficiency and sustainable design
  • Storage for belongings and bicycles
  • External shared surfaces and 'home zones'

Since then, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People has published four additional reports all exploring issues on HAPPI.

How to get involved 

As we look forward to next month's APPG inquiry report on Shared Ownership: Housing our Ageing Population (SO HAPPI), we're keen to hear your HAPPI-inspired stories and best practice examples! Share them with us at comms@housinglin.org.uk (opens new window).

If you are on Twitter then you can join the conversation using #HAPPIweek (opens new window) - we will be tweeting from @HLINComms.