Extra Care Housing for older people in the north

Contrasting areas in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber provide a range of different challenges, from the risk of isolation in deep rural settlements to the cost of providing care in larger urban areas. A locally-based approach to designing schemes can both meet local needs and provide value for money, with properties available for rent, sale or shared ownership.

In addition to the communal facilities commonly found in sheltered housing (like a residents' lounge, guest suite and laundry facilities), extra care schemes have additional facilities that reflect local needs. Schemes locally have included a shop, hairdresser, and restaurants run as a social enterprise.
 

Communal Garden Facilities at Sycamore Hall, Bainbridge

A resident's view

Ninety-one year-old Edward Norman recently moved into Housing 21’s Woodridge Gardens scheme in Washington, Sunderland, after health problems made it difficult to cope at home on his own:

“I feel I have my life back living here,” said Edward, a Second World War veteran and former colliery fitter. “With the help of my daughter and granddaughter I am living an independent life again. I do my own washing in the laundrette and go to the shops on the bus, which stops just outside. I can even pop out for a pint at the club just around the corner.”
 

Edward Norman with the HCA's Alan Davies at Woolridge Gardens

Facilities at Woodridge Gardens include a restaurant, activity room, hair salon and landscaped gardens which are open to the local community as well as residents. The £5.5m development is one of three such schemes in Sunderland, where the City Council has made Extra Care a priority in its Local Investment Plan.

Another examle is the Auden House scheme in York, where local residents ahve moved into a purpose-built scheme from damp pre-fabricated bungalows.

A rural example

Sycamore Hall in Bainbridge, Wensleydale

An example of meeting local needs in a rural setting is a Housing21 scheme in the picturesque village of Bainbridge, in the heart of Wensleydale. Local residents had found housing costs increase due to second home ownership and there was a lack of suitable accommodation for older people. The scheme has not only provided much-needed accommodation, but also now houses the village post office, a restaurant, shop, hairdressing salon, day centre and healthcare suite all available to other local residents, placing it at the heart of village life.

Visit our vulnerable and older people page for more information about housing for older people. See some of the other housing projects we're working on in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Department for Communities and Local Government website also has information about housing for older and disadvantaged people and you can find out more about Extra Care Housing from the Elderly Accommodation Counsel.