More choice, higher standards, brighter futures
Our vision is for a UK where everyone can enjoy later life in safe, vibrant and well-designed retirement communities when needed. As the voice of the sector, we champion the benefits of retirement living, advocate for increased supply to cater for our ageing population and uphold the highest industry standards.
Why retirement housing matters
Retirement housing doesn’t just help older people live safely and socially in a home of their own as they get older. It also helps free up family-sized homes, relieves pressure on health and social care services and supports local jobs, shops and services.
With a growing elderly population, we believe that increasing supply of retirement properties could help to solve the housing crisis, improve life for older people and benefit everyone living in the UK.
The additional spend on the local high street from a typical retirement housing community of 40 apartments.
The number of new jobs supported during the construction of a new retirement housing development.
The annual saving to the NHS and social care services from a typical retirement housing community of 40 apartments.
Every three moves into a retirement development results in two first-time buyers getting onto the housing ladder.
Reducing demand on the NHS and care services
A typical retirement housing community of 40 apartments reduces the burden on local health and social care services in the following ways:
- Lowering costs by over £200k per year through fewer domestic injuries, less reliance on social care, better mental health outcomes and improving the ease and efficiency of administering at-home services.
- People living in a retirement community are proactively moving to a home of their own which has been specifically designed to meet their future care needs, rather than existing, ageing housing stock.
Helping younger people move up the housing ladder
A new retirement housing community helps people of all ages move up the housing ladder in the following ways:
- Every move into a retirement home releases at least two houses further down the chain, which are often larger, family-sized homes with gardens, near schools.
- By freeing up new housing chains, every three moves into a retirement development result in two first-time buyers getting onto the housing ladder.
Investing in the local economy
A typical retirement housing community of 40 apartments boosts the local economy in the following ways:
- Generating £350k of additional spend on the local high street through the increased, week-round footfall of people living in or near the town centre.
- Supports 85 jobs during construction and 6 permanent jobs following completion. These range from gardeners, handymen and maintenance staff to on-site managers.
Improving older people’s quality of life
A retirement housing community improves older people’s quality of life in the following ways:
- People living in a retirement community know practical help is on hand at any time they need it.
- People living in a retirement community become part of a network of friends and like-minded neighbours, reducing loneliness. After moving into retirement housing, an average 80-year-old feels as good as someone 10 years younger.
Benefitting the environment
A typical new retirement housing community improves the local environment in the following ways:
- Most retirement housing communities are built on brownfield sites within easy reach of local shops and services on foot or by public transport.
- Well-maintained landscaped gardens are a key feature of retirement housing, which look attractive and support biodiversity.
- Younger owners moving into the older, family-sized houses sold by older people moving into retirement homes will typically make improvements reducing its carbon footprint by as much as 0.5 tonnes per year.