New housing strategy to help older people live independently

A new strategy has been approved to enable older people to live independently in Trafford. 

The Older People’s Housing Strategy, which was approved by a meeting of the Trafford Council’s Executive last month, contains a range of recommendations to ensure the borough can provide attractive accommodation that is suitable for older people to live in.

Recommendations include allocating sites for specialist housing for older people where there is an identified unmet need, and considering providing grants to older and vulnerable residents to ensure their homes are safe, warm and dry.

Cllr James Wright, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, said:

It is a priority that we have a choice of quality homes, and that people get support when they need it most.

This strategy has considered the ways we can ensure older people can live in the right type of housing, that they can be happy near to shops and their family and friends, so that they can continue to live independent and fulfilling lives.”

Over the next 20 years within Trafford, it is projected that there will be an almost 50% increase in the number of people over the age of 60, compared with 2015. Of this, 10,700 more people will be over the age of 75.

Therefore, the new strategy has come up with a list of priorities to ensure older residents are able to live independently in Trafford.

These are to improve the quality and standard of existing housing for older people in Trafford, to increase the availability and range of suitable housing options for older people within Trafford, and to create and foster partnerships that work to deliver effective health and social care provision, support services and high quality housing to older people across Trafford.

Cllr Wright added:

This housing strategy is an important part of our support of our older residents. We want them to feel they have a choice, of whether they want their home to be adapted to suit their needs as they get older, or whether they would prefer to live in accommodation where there is help on hand.

Above all, we want to ensure that our older residents feel that they can continue to play an active and visible role within our communities.”

Posted on Monday 20th April 2020