A Home for the Ages: Planning for the Future with Age-Friendly Designs

England has a rapidly ageing society. Within five years the over 60s will make-up over 25% of its population, and this is a trend that is set to accelerate. Despite this, little thought has been given to how the housing need of the population is going to change. This report focuses on those over the age of 55, as it is often the age at which residents qualify to enter retirement housing. However, this does not mean that this report suggests that retirement housing is the inevitable destination for over 55s – needs, desires and requirements are diverse and sophisticated across this group, and change across time. New data provided by the Centre for Towns for this report demonstrates that this new ‘housing crisis’ is not just an issue for areas usually associated with older populations: seaside towns and the countryside. Across every region of the country, communities will age significantly.