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Housing an ageing population: the consumer’s perspective

Viewpoint 106 cover

In this Housing LIN Viewpoint 106, Tony Watts OBE, writer and co-founder of the Age Action Alliance, highlights the lack of planning conditions to ensure new homes are suitable for aging individuals.

Tony looks at what’s going wrong exactly and proposes four necessary actions to address this issue, including:

  • The goal should be to design age-friendly housing by implementing age-inclusive design principles, such as those outlined in the HAPPI guidelines.
     
  • We must emphasise the societal benefits and dispel myths surrounding housing for older adults. 
     
  • Property developers and housing associations need to think creatively and build more attractive, technology-enabled, age-friendly homes. 
     
  • And, finally, we should be engaging with older people themselves to find out what is needed locally and what the impacts and benefits will be before applying.