Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequate provision of housing for older people across all housing types and tenures.

The Government believes that building more affordable homes for everyone, whatever their age, will lead to a housing market that works for all. That’s why we have doubled the housing budget. We now have the largest affordable housing programme for 40 years, with £8 billion set aside to help build 400,000 affordable homes over the next five years.

Under the National Planning Policy Framework, local authorities must plan for everyone in their community. That means that Local Plans should address the needs of older people as well as those of families and other households. In recognition of demographic changes related to our ageing society, we also recommend that Local Plans be drawn up over an appropriate time scale, preferably a 15-year time horizon, to take account of longer-term requirements.

We recognise that every local authority faces different challenges and our guidance reflects that. Where there is evidence of specific, good-quality interventions, which would ensure better provision of housing specifically for older people, these should be explored.