The government today published the report from its Older People’s Housing Taskforce. Key recommendations in the taskforce report include:

A new national strategy for an ageing population.

Reform of the planning system including:

• Revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to strengthen the need for older people’s housing, with language that gives significant weight to the urgency of provision.
• A planning presumption in favour of new developments for older people’s housing.
• Proper assessments of housing need for older people.
• Measures to address the viability restraints that impact the delivery of new retirement schemes.

Expansion of the role of Homes England including:

• Set a target of 10% of delivery through the Affordable Homes Programme for older people’s housing.
• Review and expand funding for the Older People’s Shared Ownership (OPSO) scheme run by Homes England for people who are unable to afford the full price of a new retirement property.
• Agree national definitions of housing for later life and establish new national information and advice services to build consumer understanding, including greater transparency around fees and charges.

Matthew Pennycock, the minister for hosing and planning said: “Concluding in May 2024, the Older People’s Housing Taskforce undertook an assessment of public and private specialised and supported older people’s housing, with a particular focus on the private market for those on middle incomes, and explored options for the provision of greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people. There is rightly significant national interest in the Taskforce’s findings.

“The government recognises the importance of increased supply and improving the housing options for older people in later life, and we will give careful consideration to the many recommendations set out in the report.

“Providing a range of safe, suitable housing for older people in later life helps them live independently, safely and well, for longer. It can enhance the wellbeing of our senior citizens and reduce demand on adult social care services and the National Health Service. The Government has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, including those to meet the needs of older people, and we will consider this issue further as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

“We are determined to create a more diverse housing market; one that delivers homes quickly and responds to the needs of a range of communities. Through the recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we tested proposals to promote the delivery of mixed-use sites, including housing designed for specific groups such as older people. We have also indicated our intention to consider further planning policy changes in the future as we move to produce a more streamlined and accessible suite of policies and we will ensure that considerations around older people’s housing inform our approach.

“We are also working with the Planning Advisory Service to meet the recommendation of the Taskforce for guidance to provide more clarity on how planning use classes apply to specialist Older People’s Housing.

“As the report also makes clear, older people’s housing has not been immune to the challenges faced by other residential leaseholders across the country. The government remain fully committed to providing homeowners with greater rights, powers and protections over their homes by quickly implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

“We will also take further steps over the parliament to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end, including reinvigorating commonhold by modernising the legal framework as well as restricting the sale of new leasehold flats. We will consult on the best way to achieve this, and consider the needs of all parts of the housing market as we do this, including older people’s housing.

“The government is committed to helping older people to live comfortably and independently at home for as long as possible.

In a statement Michael Voges, chief executive of ARCO, the national body for operators of housing-with-care schemes for older people, said: “ARCO led the campaign for an Older People’s Housing Taskforce for three years, so we are delighted ministers have welcomed its final report.

“The recommendations of the Taskforce are a clarion call for change, and show how we need to do things differently building on the experience of other countries. In particular, we wholeheartedly agree with the Taskforce’s emphasis on the crucial role of long-term operations – in short, it’s not just about how we build new homes, it’s about how we make sure the services offered are sustainable and affordable to older customers for generations to come.

“We are also delighted ministers recognise the significant national interest in the work of the Taskforce and the importance of growing support and improving options for older people.

“Older people need change now and the Taskforce has made recommendations that the government can act upon immediately:

• Introduction a National Development Management Policy for older people’s housing

• Protecting consumers from hidden event fees

• Exploring how new tenure models used overseas have helped improve customer affordability

• Providing certainty over long-term rental and service charge settlements for social and affordable providers.

“ARCO also welcomes the government’s commitment today to implement the recommendation of the Taskforce for guidance to provide more clarity on how planning use classes apply to specialist Older People’s Housing.”

“In a statement. Audley Group’s chief executive Nick Sanderson, who was a member of the taskforce, said: This report brings real focus to the housing challenges our aging population currently faces in the UK and sets out concrete recommendations to improve things. We hear so much about the housing crisis, but to date, far less about how we can resolve it in a way that benefits the entire population, not just first-time buyers. I was delighted to be part of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce to redress that balance. There are actions here that can be taken at a national and at a local level. To highlight a few:
• We have to strengthen planning policy and insist that every large-scale development includes provision of specialist housing for older people.

• We welcome more regulation in the sector: transparency, and adopting the recommendations the Law Commission made in 2017 are imperative for transparency and consumer trust.

• Varied charging structures and scale are necessary to create affordability, and we do need retirement living options at every price point.

“As the report says, we need collective leadership to achieve real change.

This should just be the beginning, and we mustn’t let the momentum wane -for the sake of housing, health and social care, and most importantly, for people across the UK that deserve more choice as to where and how they live as they age.”

John Tonkiss, chief executive of McCarthy Stone, a developer and manager of retirement communities, said: “This report is the blueprint for providing the safe, secure, accessible and affordable housing that our rapidly ageing population needs. Millions of older people are unable to move from their existing homes into something better suited to their needs because there are so few options for them to move to. This blocks the housing ladder, creates issues in the NHS and social care system and stymies economic investment. 

“The government has a unique opportunity to address years of undersupply in the retirement community sector if it chooses to implement these recommendations and meet the estimated demand for 30,000 to 50,000 new retirement properties a year, up from just 7,000 currently. While we welcome the report’s publication, we now need to see urgent action. We look forward to working with ministers to make this happen.”