The Government urgently needs to increase the supply of housing for older people given the UK’s ageing population, a roundtable discussion featuring parliamentarians and representatives from across the housing industry has concluded.

The roundtable, hosted by The Rt Hon Damian Green MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adult Social Care, included representatives from the Retirement Housing Group, the Associated Retirement Community Operators and the Home Builders Federation, and discussed issues relating to the provision of housing for older people. Attendees agreed that there have been years of under supply despite the ageing population and called for government support to address this imbalance. 

Discussing the benefits of retirement housing, Green spoke about how increasing its supply would free up housing for younger people when older people downsize. Others noted that retirement housing helps reduce the impact of the ageing population on the NHS and social care system.

Green commented: “Our population is ageing rapidly and retirement housing supply is not being provided at the rate needed. Just c.7,000 new retirement housing properties are delivered annually, versus the estimated demand for 50,000. The Government has promised to create a taskforce to address this, which has the opportunity to change the status quo.”