Housing Crisis - What next for the elderly?

The UK has the worst housing stock in Europe. 1 in 5 homes are in a state of disrepair. 2 million elderly people live in poor conditions and disproportionately 7% of this housing meets basic accessibility standards. According to the Survey Centre for Ageing Better, 90% of the elderly in the UK live in mainstream housing today - unlike in the 1970's and 1980's when people would move into sheltered accommodation, most now choose to remain in their homes. Homes hold a lot of memories and people can feel lonely if they live alone. 1 in 6 people will live to be 100 and, while people are fiercely independent and house proud, they can have falls in their homes, become unsteady on their feet, find it hard to manouvre their Zimmer frames around their property and they may need to move home. Many are asset-rich but cash-poor meaning that they are unable to provide any special adaptations that their property needs like ramps or wet rooms so that they can live there with dignity. Without intervention homes can feel, '...like a prison.' Waiting lists for alternative council housing are massive and unprecedented (13,000 in Birmingham for example).

Means-tested homeowners with income may eligible for Government funding (The Disabled Facilities Grant) to pay for such adaptations. Unfortunately local councils do not provide information about this grant to the public and, as a result homes without adaptations can be dangerous for their occupants. Half a billion pounds of Government funding has been allocated to local authorities to provide this grant but these authorities need to plug a 3 billion pound gap in adult social care and cope with cuts to funding. Esther McVey has stated that 2.7 billion pounds has been allocated to adult social care adaptations over the next 6 years so that the elderly and disabled can live independently and in their own homes and that councils need to take the needs of both groups into account when planning property. One solution is Lifestyle homes designed to make adaptations easier but there is a catch- if the local authorities will not pay, home builders argue that it costs more and that they simply will not do it.

These days there is a lowered demand for sheltered housing as people generally do not want to live a 'nursing home' style of property that many sheltered schemes offer. Traditional sheltered housing does not have the facilities or resources to support people today doing a wide range of activities e.g. social groups, and is not fit for purpose. The Elderly Accommodation Council published a report in sheltered housing - in the last 7 years the value of the bought property had reduced significantly when sold 5-9 years later and big figure sums have been lost. Flats bought prior to the credit crunch back in 2008 tended to lose the most value. One healthcare provider recently knocked down a sheltered housing complex replacing it with flats for nearby hospital workers - in the next 10-15 years this may be more commonplace as the the accommodation are not working for the elderly and the providers look to build something very new and different.

'Extra Care retirement villages' support people who live independently and provide structure, activities and social groups so that life is enjoyable. The villages have been around for 20 years and are dotted around the UK, however less than 1% of the UK population has access to them. Some local authorities will contribute to the cost of buying/renting flats in such villages but other authorities won't so it is not a foregone conclusion that it is affordable for all. Added to this there are 'hidden costs' the surviving families after death have to pay - service charges, ground rents as well as depreciation until the property is sold. When looking at accommodation difficult questions need to be asked - what happens after death, does the family have to keep paying rent, upkeep and service charges (e.g activities provision) until the property is sold/ re-let. There is a strong possibility of making no profit after the property is re-sold and subletting is not allowed.

We are all living longer- but at least with core healthcare and social needs. The Government needs to plan for the future burgeoning number of adults who need suitable, affordable and safe accommodation.

The Centre for Ageing Better:

https://www.ageing-better.org.uk