Jeremy Porteus' Top 5 Wishes for Housing & Care in 2025
Jeremy Porteus' Top 5 Wishes for Housing & Care in 2025
Happy New Year from everyone at the Housing LIN!
As we embark on a new year, the housing and care sectors face both challenges and opportunities to improve lives across the UK. In this context, Jeremy Porteus, CEO of Housing LIN, shares his vision for a more inclusive and accessible future, with a focus on policy changes and investments that can make a tangible difference.
These Top 5 Wishes for 2025 not only highlight critical areas for attention but also reflect a commitment to creating lasting solutions for some of the most vulnerable in our society.
No.1 Boost Supply: Develop a New Generation of Independent Living
To meet housing targets, we must prioritise independent living options for people with learning disabilities and autism. This requires better coordination, coproduction, and targeted investment. We call on the Government to allocate £300m in the upcoming Spending Review to help local communities plan and build transformative independent living solutions, ensuring inclusive housing options for all.
No.2 Retrofitting Stock: Regenerating Outdated Sheltered Housing
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People's 2024 report highlights the need to protect outdated sheltered housing for future generations. While focusing on new housing for older people, we must improve the quality of existing stock. We urge one-third of the Homes England/GLA 2026-2031 Affordable Housing Programme target to fund sheltered housing upgrades.
No.3 HAPPI Homes: Building all Homes Age-Friendly
The Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, Our Future Homes, makes over 80 recommendations to boost housing for an ageing population, focusing on age-friendly design. It highlights the HAPPI principles for accessible housing and includes new data on older people's preferences for adaptable homes. In line with the government's goal to build 1.5 million homes, we urge mandatory adoption of Parts M4(2) and M4(3) in Building Regulations.
No.4 Lifelong Neighbourhoods: Creating Connected, Healthy and Age-Inclusive Places
Over 15 years since the Labour government's strategy, reports from experts highlight the link between housing quality and health, especially for older people. To improve health and reduce costs, we urge the government to make new homes and communities age-inclusive, technology-enabled, and designed to promote healthy ageing, reduce inequalities, and facilitate community connections.
No.5 A Strong Voice: Appointing an Older People’s Commissioner
As a signatory of the Housing and Ageing Alliance’s 15 Point Plan, the Housing LIN supports creating a Commissioner for Older People in England. This independent champion would amplify older voices, ensure better representation in government, and strengthen initiatives like the Older People’s Housing Taskforce. We urge the government to consult on establishing this role.
Thanks for reading!
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Jeremy Porteus CEO at Housing LIN |