Age Scotland calls for affordable housing to meet needs of ageing population

Age Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Government's commitment to providing more affordable housing but called for this to be "future-proofed" to meet the needs of a growing older population.

The Annual Housing Statistics released today (Tuesday) show a 3 per cent rise in total housing supply, with a 30 per cent increase in the number of affordable homes approved compared to the previous year.

Keith Robson, Age Scotland's Chief Executive of Charity Services, said: "It is good news that hundreds of new homes have been built in the last year. But with the number of people aged 65 and over set to rise by over half a million between now and 2037, we need to make sure that there are sufficient numbers of new homes of different tenures and different types.

"Age Scotland believes all new affordable homes should be ‘future proofed' to meet the needs of older people.  Many new housing association homes are already adaptable by having wet floor showers and being wheelchair accessible, but this good practice needs to become the norm.

"It's also important that new homes are in the right place for older people to access local shops, health services, and transport. We would like to see planners working with local people to build resilient, age-friendly communities."

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Scottish Government's Annual Housing statistics update can be found here.

The Scottish Government also announced the
approval of more affordable housing.