Booming oldies means more affordable homes needed

AS Thame is becoming embroiled in the debate about whether or not, and where new homes are to be built in the town, The National Housing Federation is warning that communities in the rural South East will struggle to support a booming older population.

The number of pensioners living in the south east will increase by 148,200 over the next decade ? but communities here will struggle to support the ageing population boom unless more affordable homes are built, the campaign group has warned.

The National Housing Federation predicts the number of over 65s living in rural England will hit 3.23m by 2020, a rise of 907,900 (39%) from 2008.

According to the Federation, there will be a 32.8% increase in people who are over 65 years old, living alone in South Oxfordshire by 2020.

“Making matters worse,” says the Federation, “young people and families on modest incomes in rural south east communities could increasingly find themselves priced out of our villages and market towns, prompting fears that many rural areas will struggle to attract the key workers needed to care for and support the ageing population.

“More ?pensioner friendly homes? must also be built where there is a clear demand for them,” the Federation says, “and support services will need to be made more widely available in rural communities.”

Across England pensioners will make up one in four of the rural population (24%) by 2020, as the proportion of older people living in rural areas increases at a significantly faster rate than in urban areas.

The research also reveals that nationally one in three older people (32%) in rural areas will live alone by 2020, compared to the current level of one in four. In the south east, the number of older people set to live alone is expected to rise by 31.9% over the next decade, from 156,919 in 2008 to 206,924 in 2020. Many of these people could find themselves increasingly isolated if key services and amenities continue to disappear from rural England, the Federation has warned.

The Federation, which represents England?s housing associations, estimates around 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built in England alone to meet demand in rural areas over the next 10 years. In addition to the homes needed to cater for the booming population of over 65s, more affordable housing will also be necessary to house their families as well as key workers such as care assistants.

The Federation is calling on all local authorities to draw up action plans to assess their local housing needs and how they plan to meet that need. Councils should assess the changing needs of their local community and support the building of homes which meet the needs of older people where there is a demand for these properties, the Federation said.

Warren Finney, south east regional manager for the National Housing Federation said: “These projections suggest a huge rise in the number of older people living in our south east villages and market towns, many of whom will live alone. That means we?re going to be increasingly reliant on key services in these areas, as well as crucial housing and support services tailored specifically for older people.

“We must ensure that enough affordable homes are built for younger people on modest wages, so that they can continue to work in and support village shops, rural public transport, and these care and support services. If families and younger people are priced out of these areas then these amenities will continue to disappear and that would mean that older people will find themselves increasingly isolated.

“We are calling on local authorities to carry out assessments of housing need for their rural communities every three years and draw up action plans to deliver the homes required. They also need to assess what housing and support services will be needed to serve the growing older population.”

NB All new housing developments must include 40% affordable homes