**4. The impacts of inaction**

We all know the impacts of the continuing failure to meet housing targets being felt across the whole of the population: spiralling house prices, unaffordable private rents, lengthening waiting lists for social housing along with millions of unhealthy and/or unsafe homes.

But, critically, neither are most of the houses we ARE building fit for purpose… once you take into account the age of the people who are, or will, be living in them. By 2066, a further 8.6 million UK residents will be aged 65 years and over (an additional cohort the size of London [12]). And the fastest increase will be among those aged 85 years and over.

If retirees are to be persuaded into mainstream homes where they can age in place, there's a long way to go. For instance, around 40% of those in the UK aged 60 to 74 report having a lifetime limiting illness, rising to almost 60% at 75 and over [13] …but DCLG itself estimates [14] a supply gap of up to 45,000 units a year of housing suitable for people with varied support needs, a figure that is growing as each year passes.

And here's the thing: a baby born in 2020 has a 54.3% chance of reaching the age of 90 [15]. You would think it would make sense to ensure that every new home being built would be suitable for everyone to age in place. However, by the time today's young generation reach retirement age, say, or start to live with a disability that makes a mainstream house difficult, there will be even fewer suitable homes available than now.

From its analysis of 324 local housing plans, Habinteg Housing [16] has found that there will just be one new accessible home erected in the next 10 years for every 77 people in the population – down from one for every 67 two years ago.
