I attended two events this week both of which brought people together from the 'operational living' sectors. Having designed 'operational' buildings all of my career it was fascinating to hear from and meet people whose common cause is to rent homes for people to live in at all stages of life; student housing, build to rent (multi and single family homes), co-living and later living. Each of these models have developed a recognisable 'product' for their market, apart from the later living sector which panel members thought was undefined. It was also argued that all, except later living, have a burgeoning market of keen tenants who want to live in a setting that makes sense to their perception of 'normality'. It's worth noting that customers for the later living market are often asset rich which contrasts with the other rental sectors.

It is easy to convince ourselves that older people don't want to move into specialist housing, never mind choose to rent. It is definitely a hard 'sell'. But we need to shift this perception across the board. I have heard commentators at conferences say 'why would anyone want to get off the housing ladder after a lifetime of home ownership'. It is true for many but not everyone. I heard this remark 10 years ago when BTR was first emerging and starting to fill the housing targets of desperate Local Authorities. For some of us we may find ourselves in later life, perhaps in our 80's, with failing health, maybe alone or overwhelmed with a house we find too large to manage, and the options are to stick-it out or maybe move to a care home which is in fact a form of 'getting off the housing ladder' but this is not always appropriate or necessary.

Now, in 2024, care homes are understood to be the option for those who need round the clock care while often a more appropriate setting, such as later living apartments for rent (or sale), offers older people an option to retain independence, be part of a community and be unburdened of home ownership. Unfortunately there is a cautious reticence by some developers to include this product in their new communities and all too often masterplans go ahead with little reference to the later living sector or to seek out what is needed, what works and how much of a contribution older people make to communities. If there are any masterplans being developed we would be happy to carry out an independent review for what might work as a later living offering.

Getting the right advice early on and then preparing designs that the market are interested in is hugely valuable. If we include well thought-out options for the later living market and build more of it, then we may just start to shift the dial on the negative perceptions of making a move in later life - for rent or sale, just like at any other time of life.

Operational Living - changing perceptions for later living at an early design stage