*Perspective Chapter: Is Expecting Older People to Downsize to Help Solve the Nation's Housing… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108047*

The Localism Act means that developers and planners are obligated to take on board local views. The principles of developing any new product for any marketplace entails market testing, but this does not always seem to take place with new housing for older people: would it not make sense for a developer to fully engage with a community before the pre-app stage and determine precisely what is really needed and wanted locally? As well as securing a speedier consent by demonstrating demand and heading off criticisms from local nimbys, they would also be able to refine their offer at an earlier (and less expensive) stage, then go on to sell or rent their apartments or houses far more readily.

I will add another key factor here: developers should create product that can be seen as aspirational, not a last option. Many of us go through our lives looking to progress up the housing ladder and find it problematic to make a move to a smaller house if it is perceived as a "downward" move. Not everyone wants to move into a shoebox or lose their garden; not everyone wants to move away from their community; not everyone wants to live well away from shops and services or somewhere that has no public transport links.

Provide more choice, listen to what local older people feel would meet their specific needs, change the concept of "downsizing" to "rightsizing", a repositioning that I have argued for over many years now, and you might encourage more to make what (for many) will be their last move.
