A next-generation care home solution
An interesting and logical extension to this trend is the intergenerational model for care homes and later-living developments. In March, a report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing and Care for Older People recommended that we “recognise intergenerational communities as essential social infrastructure that fosters inclusive and reciprocal relationships and everyday mutual support between people of all ages and backgrounds”.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, such schemes bring together older residents and younger people, whether students, young families or working-age households, in shared or adjacent living environments. The benefits can be manifold, from fostering meaningful social contact and reducing isolation to creating more vibrant, mutually supportive communities and boosting housing delivery.
Intergenerational housing schemes thrive in exactly the kinds of central, connected locations your article discusses. Proximity to universities, schools, workplaces, cultural institutions and younger populations is crucial.
The concept remains on the periphery in the UK, but there are encouraging signs of movement. A planning application was recently submitted for 85 intergenerational, zero-carbon-in-use homes at Ordnance Lane in York, with 40% affordable provision and a community-led development process.
In London, Melfield Gardens has been described as the UK’s first fully affordable intergenerational housing scheme, designed to tackle both loneliness and housing shortage.
And the design of Farmstead Road in Lewisham references intergenerational living, with mixed household typologies, flexible layouts and shared spaces.
In the US, a growing number of operators and universities are partnering to create retirement communities embedded within or adjacent to campuses. The model
has real potential for the UK, given our concentration of civic universities.
The case for intergenerational housing in the UK is strong, with an ageing demographic, a housing crisis affecting multiple generations and a growing appetite for models that do more than simply provide beds.
This article was originally published by Property Week.
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