Property Quorum – Thursday 10h July at 10am

It’s one of the quietest shortcomings in our national housing picture, and perhaps one of the most urgent. As our population ages and mobility issues become more widespread, you’d expect accessibility to be front and centre in housing strategy. Yet the reality is far less reassuring.

During our podcast last Thursday, a question was raised about provision for the elderly and those with mobility challenges. We weren’t able to give the topic the attention it deserved at the time, so we’re bringing it to the table this week for a fuller, more focused discussion.

On Thursday’s Property Quorum, we’re discussing whether adequate homes are being delivered that meet the needs of elderly and less mobile residents. Or are we falling short, not just in planning, but in design, delivery, and day-to-day support?

It’s not that the issue is entirely invisible in government policy. Documents like the National Planning Policy Framework acknowledge the need for accessible and adaptable homes. Optional standards are included in Building Regulations and local authorities are encouraged to plan for older people’s housing.

Therein lies the catch: encouraged, not required. Across much of the country, those standards remain optional, inconsistently applied, and often diluted when viability is challenged.

On paper, the system may appear to account for vulnerability. In practice, it’s rare.

That’s especially evident in how Houses of Multiple Occupation and other multi-occupancy housing types are positioned. While they’re commonly associated with student lets or low-income tenants, could they be reimagined to better support independent living for older or disabled residents?

Give them the right layout, staffing, and safeguarding in place, HMOs could be part of the answer, yet few are designed with accessibility or support in mind.
Retrofitting existing homes is another missing piece. Most of the housing stock that elderly or disabled people occupy today was not designed for them. The funding available for adaptations, typically through Disabled Facilities Grants, is limited, slow, and inconsistent. Meanwhile, specialist housing remains in short supply, and new accessible homes are still too rare to meet growing demand.

This week’s episode brings that conversation to the fore. Host Gareth Wax is joined by conveyancing collaborator Hamish McLay, alongside the two regular contributors: property lawyer Juliet Baboolal and experienced developer Chris Gilsenan. In addition, we are joined by Wendy Gibson from The First Time Buyers Club. Each of our contributors brings their own angle on what accessibility should mean in 2025, and what still needs to change to get there.

This is about more than compliance or regulation. It’s about dignity, independence, and the kind of homes people can actually live in; safely, suitably, and confidently.

Catch the conversation live on Thursday 10th July at 10am on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
PS:
For content enquiries: hm@searchandconveysolutions.co.uk
For podcast/media info: gareth@mphats.com