Despite a growing understanding that a safe home is the foundation for a good life and a critical factor in extending our years spent in good health, England has a shortage of warm, damp-free and suitable housing. Years of national underinvestment in improving the quality of our homes means that the number of non-decent homes – a government-defined minimum standard – actually increased last year (EHS, 2024).
Nearly eight million people live in a dangerous home, approximately 2.6 million of whom are aged 55 and over. Older people and children are most vulnerable to the health consequences of living in a damp, cold, hazardous homes with millions experiencing respiratory conditions such as asthma; heart conditions; and falls in the home that have life-changing consequences.
New research conducted for this report by the Building Research Establishment confirms that people aged 55 and over account for half of NHS expenditure related to poor-quality housing (£595 million per year is spent treating people aged 55 and over). This is despite only a third of non-decent homes in England being occupied by this age group.
This report outlines the evidence on older people’s housing conditions, the impact it is having on their health and quantifies the avoidable financial cost to the NHS and social care sectors. This report intended to highlight the experiences of older people who are often missing in national conversations about our housing crisis, millions of whom are living in poor-quality housing, struggling financially and without a clear route to safety.
To read the report: Counting the Cost: The case for making older people’s homes safe | Centre for Ageing Better (ageing-better.org.uk)