Abdul A. Ravat , Head of Development and Relationships at ALS, and Chair of the National Housing Federation’s (NHF) Older Person’s Housing Group, was once again in the chair seat on 19th May for a webinar on the subject of Planning housing for an ageing population.
The webinar heard from speakers including Mohammed Ul-Haq, Healthcare lead for HLM architects; Dawn Carr, Cohousing Partnership Manager at Housing 21; and Sally Nichols, Assistant Director of Operations at The Riverside Group.
The discussion viewed the issue of older people’s housing from multiple angles and highlighted the need to better promote the options available to older people, including cohousing, and the importance of appropriate rightsizing based on their future needs and circumstances. Intergenerational living was also explored, and the benefits that it can have for new and existing communities when it comes to meeting different people’s housing, care and health needs.
Abdul has recently been heavily involved with the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People and the government’s Older Person’s Housing Taskforce, and it is hoped that the findings from this webinar will further help to influence the decisions of policymakers.
He said, “Given that two thirds of the NHS budget is currently spent on over-65s, it is important to explore different options for how to balance the books while continuing to meet the housing and care needs of an increasingly ageing and diverse population. I am grateful to the contributors to this webinar for their insight into new avenues to examine and potential solutions, and to the NHF for giving me the opportunity to Chair the session.
“I look forward to bringing these opinions to the government so that they may help to inform the forthcoming Housing Plan, the Affordable Homes Programme, and their approach to corporate social responsibility when it comes to investment in affordable and improved social housing that is responsive to the needs of an ageing population.”
Abbeyfield sponsors All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on Housing and Care for Older People
Abbeyfield is actively working to shape the future of housing and care for older people through its sponsorship of the All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiry into sheltered housing regeneration and its involvement with the government's Older People's Housing Taskforce. By collaborating with policymakers and sharing insights from their homes, Abbeyfield is advocating for the urgent need to modernise housing options and improve the lives of older people across the UK.
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