Will rural communities struggle to support a booming older population?
4 February 2010
The number of pensioners living in the East of England will increase by 175,400 over the next decade.
Communities will therefore struggle to support the ageing population boom unless more affordable homes are built, a campaign group has warned.
The National Housing Federation predicts the number of over 65s living in rural England will hit 3.23m by 2020, a rise of 907,900 (39%) from 2008.
Young people and families on modest incomes could increasingly find themselves priced out of villages and market towns, prompting fears that many rural areas will struggle to attract the key workers needed to care and support for the ageing population.
More ‘pensioner friendly homes’ must also be built where there is a clear demand for them, the Federation said, and support services will need to be made more widely available in rural communities.
Across England pensioners will make up one in four of the rural population (24%) by 2020, as the proportion of older people living in rural areas increases at a significantly faster rate than in urban areas.
The research also reveals that one in three older people (32%) in rural areas will live alone by 2020, compared to the current level of one in four. In the East of England, the number of older people living alone is set to rise by 43.1% over the next decade, from 139,163 to 199,150. Many of these people could find themselves increasingly isolated if key services and amenities continue to disappear from rural England, the Federation has warned.
The Federation, which represents England’s housing associations, estimates around 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built in England alone to meet demand in rural areas over the next 10 years. In addition to the homes needed to cater for the booming population of over 65s, more affordable housing will also be necessary to house their families as well as key workers such as care assistants.
The Federation is calling on all local authorities to draw up action plans to assess their local housing needs and how they plan to meet that need.
Councils should assess the changing needs of their local community and support the building of homes which meet the needs of older people where there is a demand for these properties, the Federation said.
Head of Region for the National Housing Federation, Gina King said:
‘The proportion of older people living in the countryside will rise dramatically over the next decade – bringing many benefits to rural communities but also a series of big challenges.
‘As the older rural population booms, we must ensure that enough affordable homes are built for younger people on modest wages, so that they can continue to work in and support key services like shops, public transport, and care and support services.
‘If families and younger people are priced out of the countryside and local services and amenities continue to disappear, older people will find themselves increasingly isolated.
‘That’s why rural local authorities must carry out assessments of housing need every three years and draw up action plans to deliver the homes required. They also need to assess what housing and support services will be needed to serve the growing older population.
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