Chaired by Professor Julienne Meyer CBE, the Taskforce brings together a team of experts to support the development of this crucial work and are particularly looking at those of lower and middle incomes.
Currently, there are 12.4 million people in Great Britain aged over 65 (18% of the population). By 2041, this is projected to rise to 20.4 million (26% of the population). But many older people live in homes that do not support them to live a safe, healthy and independent later life.
The Taskforce has been set up to further understand the market which includes broadening provision and choice for older people, including supporting them to continue living in their current home if they wish to do so. It will also examine the issues faced by older people when seeking to move into more appropriate or specialist housing, and how these can be addressed.
People, products and places
At this stage, organisations are encouraged to contribute and provide evidence, insight and advice on priorities that can be considered, rather than the public. The Taskforce will be hosting a range of other work to ensure that the views of people with lived experience are at the heart of its work.
Questions focus on people - how can they be supported to understand the full range of choices available to them and are empowered to make those choices; products – examine how to bring together the levers and partners in local systems to make change happen at the local level; and places - how to improve consumer confidence with the tenure models they need (at a range of affordability levels).
The consultation is open until 18 September 2023 with recommendations to be provided to Ministers in 2024.
Propertymark campaigning
In 2021, we wrote to the then Secretary of State of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, highlighting the need for a greater supply of affordable homes for the ageing population, and that the lack of housing options for older people actively encourages people to stay in homes that are not efficient for their needs.
We will be responding to Older People’s Housing Taskforce call for evidence and any comments can be fed to our Policy Team via [email protected]
