Old Folk Need Better Housing

Within a generation, almost a third of all Scots will be aged over 60, increasing to almost 1.8 million by 2039. Those aged over 75 will have nearly doubled from 0.43 million to 0.8 million.

Age Scotland, the Scottish Older People’s Assembly, Castle Rock Edinvar, and McCarthy and Stone have joined forces to launch the Older People’s Housing Coalition to put older and disabled people’s housing needs at the centre of the planning system.

The coalition is urging the Scottish Government to make housing for older people and those with disabilities a specific priority in its Planning Bill, with clear national and local targets similar to those for affordable housing. Planning authorities should be obliged to identify appropriate sites close to local shops, GPs, services, and transport links. It is also pushing for “age friendly design” to be incorporated into the planning process, with elements including accessibility, energy efficiency, adaptability, and shared facilities.

Research commissioned by the government found that the next generation of affordable homes will be too small for many disabled people who rely on wheelchairs or other mobility aids as the standards being followed do not allow sufficient floor space for wheelchairs.

Jim Eadie from Age Scotland, a spokesperson for the coalition, said: “Scotland is not building enough housing to meet the needs of its rapidly ageing population. There simply aren’t enough homes where older and disabled people want to live, and this is putting increasing pressure on health and social care budgets. We urgently need to improve the mix of housing across all tenures to rent and buy, so we can meet the diverse needs of Scotland’s older and disabled people.