Lansley unveils £200m for homes for older people
Author: Jamie Carpenter, Planning |
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced £200 million of funding to encourage the development of specialist housing for older people.
The new “care and support housing fund”, announced in today’s care and support white paper, will “encourage providers to develop new accommodation options for older people and disabled adults”, according to the document.
The cash will be made available over five years from 2013/14, the white paper said.
The paper said that the Department of Health believes that there is a particular need to “develop a greater supply of accommodation for the growing number of older people who are homeowners”.
The department will “look at ways for our capital fund to encourage the development of specialised housing for this group”, the white paper added.
John Slaughter, policy director at the Home Builders Federation, said: “Meeting the housing requirements of older people is an often hidden part of our national housing crisis.
“We welcome the announcement of additional funding for supported housing as part of the response, but we need to go much further and ensure that the range of housing solutions older people want are properly provided for as local authorities assess their future housing needs.”