Today Grant Shapps launched the Governments’ Housing Strategy. The strategy focuses the role that safe, warm, suitable housing can play in boosting public health. Every year a large number of people are admitted to hospital due to accidents or illnesses caused by health hazards around the home. In many cases simple handyperson service repairs or low cost security measures can prevent hospital admissions or postpone residential care – making significant savings for health and social care budgets and importantly, ensuring older people feel safe and secure in their own homes. The Government has also highlighted their continued support to these services, the sector and to Foundations.

Home improvement agencies (HIAs) are acknowledged as already helping thousands of older and disabled people to maintain or improve their homes and the measures announced today recognise the importance of this work. Foundations want to support HIAS all over England to extend the reach of their services and to encourage efficiency, innovation and social enterprise in service design.

Another area tackled by the housing strategy – improving the quality and choice of suitable housing for older people – addresses a major issue identified by HIAs. Caseworkers are increasingly being called on to provide advice about housing options to older people. The measures announced today places emphasis on the importance of providing good quality, accessible advice and information so older people can make planned choices about appropriate and available housing. Foundationsis currently working with national advice provider FirstStop on the best way to provide such services.

One of the key words being emphasised in this housing strategy is ‘choice’. Empowering older people to make suitable, informed choices about their future accommodation is key to reducing the burden on health and social care and crucially, to improving the wellbeing, health and quality of life for a rapidly growing older population.

Click here for press release and full strategy.