Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation
The Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) has gathered good practice from across Europe and put together new and creative proposals to help put us at the forefront of housing for older people.
We were commissioned by Communities and Local Government (CLG) in partnership with Department of Health to set up the innovation panel, as part of CLG’s commitment outlined in ‘Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society’, published by CLG in 2008.
Chaired by Lord Best, the independent panel spoke to housing experts before embarking on an intense period of research visiting schemes and meeting residents over summer 2009. The panel has now reported to government some recommendations to help ensure that future housing will create sustainable and inclusive homes and neighbourhoods which our ageing population want and can afford to live in.
Recommendations
The HAPPI report sets out the panel’s findings in four chapters, the last of which offers detailed recommendations directed towards the government and key organisations. Four important issues are captured in the following headlines:
- the time has come for a national effort to build the homes that will meet our needs and aspirations as we all grow older.
- we should all plan ahead positively, creating demand for better choice through a greater range of housing opportunities.
- housing for older people should become an exemplar for mainstream housing, and meet higher design standards for space and quality.
- local Planning Authorities should play a key role to ensure delivery of desirable housing in great places, tuned to local need and demand.
Download the Executive summary - PDF (378KB)
Download the full HAPPI report - PDF (4.67KB)
Panel members
- Lord Richard Best OBE, president, Local Government Association (Chair)
- Roger Battersby, Managing Director of PRP Architects
- Dr John Belcher CBE, Chief Executive of Anchor Trust
- Vera Bolter MBE, HOPDEV and Elders Council of Newcastle
- Anthony Hamilton, User representative
- Sir Richard MacCormac CBE, McCormac Jamieson Prichard
- Aggie MacKenzie, Journalist and television presenter
- Peter Maxwell, Head of Enabling, Public Buildings, CABE
- John Penton MBE, Architect, member of the Council of City & Guilds
- Tony Pidgley, chairman, Berkeley Homes
- Professor Anne Power MBE, CBE, Professor of Social Policy, LSE
- Judith Torrington, Reader in Architecture, University of Sheffield
- Dru Vesty MBE, Chair of HCA Design and Sustainability Advisory Group
Panel biographies - PDF (445 KB)
Panel meetings - stakeholder feedback - PDF (60 KB)
Case Studies
HAPPI final report - Darwin Court PDF (8.63MB)
HAPPI final report - Postiljonen Skanör, Sweden PDF (8.60MB)
A consultant team comprising Pollard Thomas Edwards architects, Levitt Bernstein Associates and Design for Homes, were appointed to ensure that the panel were fully briefed on the key issues, as well as the broad area of study, and supported through best practice precedents and site visits.
Contact details:
Kevin McGeough Senior Policy Manager)Kevin.mcgeough@hca.gsx.gov.uk
James Berrington (Senior Policy Manager)James.berrington@hca.gsx.gov.uk
Last updated: 20 January 2010