Adapting to the Challenges of an Ageing Population for Social Housing

The UK population, like in many countries, is ageing with wide consequences for society and the economy. One in six people in the UK are now over 65, an increase of more than one million from 2001. Almost one fifth of these elderly households live in social housing. This paper makes the case for improving access to information on local accessible and adaptable accommodation to enhance the housing choices of older and disabled people. The research examined the allocation processes in detail, how they worked and how successful they were. With the scarcity of accessible and adaptable housing and increasing pressures on capital budgets for aids and adaptation, it found that having a local Accessible Housing Register in place not only improves the allocation of suitable housing to those who need it but also can ensure more efficient use of stock by reducing the cost of adaptations in the first year after a move.