**Abstract**

On a regular basis the cry goes up: "Older people should downsize to free up their houses for younger families." However, it's not quite as straightforward as it's made out to be, maintains older people's campaigner Tony Watts OBE. Moreover, the lack of a suitable housing supply in the right locations means that significant opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of older people… and reduce public expenditure on health and care… are being missed.

**Keywords:** later life housing, retirement living, downsizing, age-friendly communities, housing crisis
