Gove reacts to homes for elderly crisis
MICHAEL Gove will launch a task force to tackle shortages of suitable homes for elderly people.
The Housing Secretary was warned there will be four million more households with people over 65 in the next two decades.
But building of retirement homes for private buyers, renters or “village” communities is running at 7,000 a year compared to a need for 30,000, said property firm Knight Frank.
The launch of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, expected in the next few weeks, comes after 134 care homes shut since the start of the pandemic.
Builders say vague planning standards delay work.
They have also called on local authorities to include older peoples’ housing when allocating land.