Age Friendly Social Housing Programme | HACT

A 2-year collaborative programme

Over 55s are an ‘at risk’ group for experiencing isolation, and organisations like Age UK warn that the UK is facing a ‘loneliness crisis’. As established landlords, local anchor organisations and placemakers, housing associations can and do play a significant role in creating age friendly communities, providing homes and a range of services that can support people to age well in the places and communities they call home. Age Friendly networks facilitated joined-up thinking and working between social landlords and their partners around their activities and services for over 50s in the three localities, allowing us to pool resources and move from individual to collective action.

Learnings from the programme have emphasised the need for a cultural shift that prioritises the unique needs of an ageing population while fostering collaboration between stakeholders to enhance services. The programme also highlighted the importance of introducing regular training, defining clear housing criteria tailored to older residents, and leveraging community investment expertise.

Key recommendations from the programme

the Age Friendly Social Housing Programme outlines seven key recommendations aimed at creating more inclusive and supportive communities for older residents. It emphasises the need for a cultural shift that prioritises the unique needs of an ageing population while fostering collaboration between stakeholders to enhance services. The programme also highlights the importance of introducing regular training, defining clear housing criteria tailored to older residents, and leveraging community investment expertise.

Additionally, it calls for greater visibility of housing teams and services, as well as promoting social connections to reduce isolation and strengthen community bonds. Together, these recommendations provide a comprehensive approach to ensuring older residents feel valued, connected, and safe.

1. Creating a culture shift

We need to think more fluidly about ageing and not make assumptions about the experiences of people at certain ages.
The number of people aged 50 and over has increased by 47% in the last 40 years, with those aged 65 and over rising by 52%. As our communities age, we must rethink how we work and create an ‘age-friendly’ approach.

Relevant training for staff around age friendly principles, making every contact count, dementia and ageism stigma.
Housing to be prepared to test new and innovative approaches to supporting the needs of ageing residents.

2. Enabling Collaboration

Staff need dedicated time to connect with peers and services. Involvement in collaborative forums should be positioned as an essential part of job descriptions, with adequate time and space allocated.

Staff could be given dedicated time to connect with peers and other services in the wider support system.
New roles and job descriptions could be developed with a specific focus on collaborative working and joining up between sectors.

Age Friendly Network

3. Robust health & Safety

The specific health and safety needs of buildings needs a review through the lens of an ageing population to ensure that residents can live in their homes safely and independently for as long as possible.

Health & safety and maintenance teams should collaborate with community investment teams to implement aids and adaptations—an OT assessment isn't always required.
Communicate about aids and adaptations in ways that suit older people, not just online.
Adopt the ‘Adaptations without delay’ approach and train staff as Trusted Assessors. More tips are in our report, "Promoting the Safety and Independence of Older Residents."

Download Report

4. Definitions of housing criteria

The housing sector has an opportunity to reimagine the definitions of social housing in light of an ageing population.
Dedicated staff who specialise in supporting older/ disabled residents in general needs
Planned, proactive interactions with older people/ disabled residents to assess needs holistically
Insights from Community Investment teams and their close community partners could inform new definitions of housing criteria

5. Community investment expertise

Community Investment teams and their close partners can play a greater role in informing wider housing practice, from the design of homes and communities through to the review of health and safety policies.
Setting up information-sharing forums within and across housing teams to ensure that community investment practices and insights inform wider organisation decisions
Community investment teams to have increased emphasis on taking this insight into new spaces across housing and civil society settings

Discuss with HACT

6. Greater visibility

Housing associations can support older residents through reviewing and developing the opportunities they have for in-person contact with the organisation.
Identify areas where there are high proportions of residents over 55 and focus in-person resources and contact in these areas.
Collaborate with local partners to host regular community events, providing opportunities to connect and build relationships with local residents.

7. Social Connection

There needs to be a greater emphasis on generating meaningful social connection activity, and more time and resource given to this.
Train and empower housing teams to have open conversations with residents about community activities and needs.
Collaborate with local partners to pool resources and offer a range of activities.
Actively engage residents to identify barriers, like mobility or confidence, and find solutions.

Download loneliness interventions

The power of collaboration

The Age Friendly Social Housing Programme has highlighted the value and effectiveness of collaborative place-based solutions for the social housing sector. Whether you are delivering support across your communities tackling a variety of issues or just looking to better support your residents, HACT have the insight to help you deliver this within your communities.

Get in touch with our team to learn more.

Resources for you and your team

Recommendations booklet

Multi-agency toolkit

Promoting safety report

Community Voices: Stories from Bradford older residents

Loneliness Interventions

Age Friendly Social Housing Programme Social Value Impact Report

The Power of Microgrants

Bradford Local Impact Report

Supported by

Recording: Connection and community: less lonely, better connected

Our Age Friendly Social Housing team held an event to update the Network on the success of the numerous multi-agency events they have ran over the past months and the Make It Happen Fund. The team also used the learnings from these events and the fund, to identify some key learnings.

Watch the recording here

Age Friendly Social Housing Programme: Two key loneliness interventions

As part of the Age Friendly Social Housing Programme, a number of multi-agency community events were held over the last six months, aimed at residents over the age of 50. Additionally, they created the Make It Happen Fund, giving residents the opportunity to lead their own projects to reduce loneliness and isolation. This lead to the identification of 2 key loneliness interventions.

Read about the interventions here