The British Property Federation (BPF) has added its voice to calls for local authorities to include a requirement for retirement homes in their Local Plans.
A new report published by Demos on behalf of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People recommends that local authorities might in their Local Plans allocate land, particularly public land, specifically for older people’s housing. This will mean that retirement developers do not have to compete with commercial developers, who may be able to pay significantly higher prices for land.
The BPF advises using an evidence-based approach to determine sites which could be used for retirement housing. If retirement developers are able to secure land more easily, unit costs could be reduced, making retirement housing more affordable.
The report shows that the UK is facing a severe undersupply of retirement housing, with the number of homes built specifically for older people at around 8,000 per annum today, down from 30,000 per annum in the 1980s.
The BPF earlier in the year set up a Healthcare Committee with the intention of making both central and local government aware of the need for a concerted effort to supply more retirement housing.
Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, said: “There is always a lot of focus on how to get first time buyers onto the housing ladder, but we do also need to see policy changes to ensure that the elderly will be sufficiently housed.
"Not only will including a retirement housing provision in Local Plans increase supply and make retirement homes more affordable, it will also encourage people to downsize, thereby releasing more homes on to the market.”
