Councils should be freed to house elderly migrants

In a paper published today, the Institute for Public Policy Research examines the extent and benefits of moving in old age. It finds there is some truth to the stereotype of retired couples moving to the seaside, but that there is also a more complex picture.It suggests councils should be given more power to encourage the development of housing, so that homes are better suited to elderly people in areas where they are likely to move. It argues older migrants should be seen as an ‘asset with skills to be shared’, rather than a burden on local services.Moves were most common among 55 to 64-year-olds and the over 80s, and generally people moved from the north or London to the south east, south west or east of England. People renting privately were more likely to move than homeowners, although only 5 per cent of over 65s fall into that category.