Later Living Accommodation Has Key Role To Play In Alleviating Housing Crisis

The key to alleviating the pressure on the housing market is better development of later living accommodation, a new survey has shown, but this will not be achieved without bold action being taken at a local and regional level. In Nottingham and Leicester alone, the number of over-65s is predicted to increase by over 19,000 by 2027, making this demographic account for 13.5 percent of the cities’ total populations. Just 4,000 specific retirement properties were built in the East Midlands between 2009 and 2018. Research undertaken by law firm Shakespeare Martineau and the Housing LIN, revealed that a re-think of the UK’s later living sector is urgently needed in the East Midlands to address this significant shortfall. Read more on the East Midlands Business Link website.

https://www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/property/later-living-accommodation-has-key-role-to-play-in-alleviating-east-midlands-housing-crisis/

How Will Brexit Affect The Housing With Care And Supported Housing Market?

Whatever the Deal or No Deal, very little has been reported on the implications on the housing with care and supported housing sector. For this reason, Housing LIN surveyed its members to find out what contingency and other plans have been made and to capture their views. Responses to the survey were used to build a snapshot of relevant sectors around planning and risk assessments, in particular, regarding staffing issues, housing demand, impacts on customers, costs, finance and investment decisions. Download a copy of the report from the Housing LIN website.

https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/Support_materials/Briefings/HLIN_Briefing_Brexit-Survey.pdf

Community-Led Housing Could Increase Housing Supply

The Housing Commission on Community-Led Housing is launching its report, ‘Community-Led Housing: a Key Role for Local Authorities’. Set up by the Co-operative Councils’ Innovation Network, the commission’s practical approach is aimed at promoting good practice and innovation to enable councils to work with communities to generate more affordable housing and make best use of government funding for community-led housing. The report is timely because of DCLG’s relaunched Community Housing Fund in England and funding for community-led housing provided by the Welsh and Scottish governments. Download the report from the Housing LIN website.

https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/OtherOrganisation/Community_Led_housing_Report_2017.pdf

Later Life Housing ‘Largely Ignored And Not Understood By Government’

A new survey from Winckworth Sherwood has found a series of aspects of older people’s housing are ignored by government. The government are also failing to provide the choice of tenures and care options and is confusing for buyers, says a new report from law firm Winckworth Sherwood and Housing LIN, a specialist housing network of housing, health and social care providers. The report – The other end of the housing market: Housing for older people – also notes a marked rise in the number of private developers moving into this market and fear over high service charges holding back decisions to move. Download the report from the Housing LIN website.

Toolkit Helps Councils Plan Housing for Elderly

A consortium of housing providers has launched a toolkit to help local authorities plan for housing an ageing population. Housing in later life: planning ahead for specialist housing for older people is designed to highlight the benefits of specialist housing for older people and to encourage planners to join up housing, planning and social care policies. Download the toolkit from the Housing LIN website.

Sustainable Funding Model to Deliver Extra Care Housing?

With a recent Social Care White Paper setting out a new direction for adult social care, this Housing LIN Viewpoint explains how Local Integrated Service Trusts could provide a sustainable vehicle for effective joint ventures between local authorities, social housing providers, charities and the private sector to develop capacity and investment in care at home in extra care housing. It draws on a round table discussion recently hosted by Bevan Brittan LLP which explored the scope for "Mission Investment" to help meet the challenges of funding housing for older people and people with long term conditions. Download a copy from the HLIN website.

Study Highlights Value of Extra Care Housing

An evaluation of extra care housing developments has concluded the schemes could help meet the needs of an ageing population. Research published by the Housing and Learning Improvement Network and the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent has found extra care housing can improve quality of life and save public money. The study looked at 19 extra care housing developments part funded through the Department of Health’s extra care housing fund. It found the schemes offered a ‘viable alternative to residential care’. Schemes were less expensive than care homes, and gave residents higher levels of physical and mental engagement. The most cost-effective schemes tended to have joint housing and care management, rather than splitting the two areas. However the report notes there were problems with the development of the projects. Eleven of the 19 were more expensive than planned, and some units intended for sale were turned into social housing as a result of the economic downturn. Download a copy of the report from the Housing Lin website.

Strategic Housing for Older People

To coincide with the Government's Housing Strategy and a 'deal for older people's housing', this Strategic Housing for Older People (SHOP) Resource Pack offers a sector-led approach to meeting the housing demand and supply challenges for an increasingly ageing population. SHOP provides a framework and a basket of accompanying tools for councils, public and private sector developers and providers to develop their strategic market position and take the initiative in designing and building homes that older people want, including extra care housing. The papers and accompanying tools in this Resource Pack support a variety of activities including:
*how to develop an understanding of what future demand is likely to be for housing for older people
*what does the market look like now and how should it look in the future
*what are the key success factors in the service design process for extra care housing
*how do you promote and market extra care housing
Download the pack from the housinglin website.