Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of under-occupation of larger houses on the supply of specialist housing for older people.

The Government’s Housing White Paper underlines our commitment to do more to provide the homes we need for all in our society, including for older and disabled people. We also recognised and committed to explore the barriers for older people moving at the right time to the right property and explore ways to stimulate the market to deliver new homes for older people.

This will involve building on evidence to deliver outcomes that are best for older people, including finding sustainable solutions, drawing on the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders, and by considering the impact on the housing market caused by older people moving home - and how this could contribute to a stronger evidence base to inform our policy making. These approaches will sit alongside our commitments to continue to fund the development of supported and sheltered housing.