The evidence base that informs our work
454,000 residents of Greater Manchester are over the age of 65 and by 2024, residents age 50+ will exceed 1 million.
One-person households increase as we age, by 2035 there will be 33.7% more people aged over 65 living alone (20,729 people).
By 2035, 3 in 20 Greater Manchester residents will be 75 years or older; between 2018 and 2043 the 75-84 age group is projected to rise by 57.3%; almost 1 in 3 will have a long-term illness that limits day-to-day activities ‘a lot’; just under 8% will be living with dementia.
During lockdown those over 50 told us they are less satisfed with their home, more likely to want to move or make improvements if they are less financially well off; outside space was the single most important factor in people’s homes during lockdown, and its importance increased with age, cited by 88% of people aged 70 and over.
Nationally, 18% of homes are officially classed as non-decent; over half of homes in need of improvements are headed by an adult over 55; majority of these are owner-occupiers; 32% adults in their 50s and 60s could be put off from making vital home improvements and repairs because of a lack of trust in tradespeople (Ipsos MORI, 2021); English Housing Survey suggests 27% of private rental sector homes do not meet the Decent Homes Standard, given the ageing profile of private rental stock in Greater Manchester it is likely conditions may be worse.
Nationally, 9% of current housing stock meets the most basic standard of accessibility.
Poor housing is estimated to cost the NHS at least £1.4bn per year in England; groups that experience health inequalities are disproportionately represented in poor-quality homes; 1 in 5 excess deaths during winter are attributed to cold housing.
Currently, the majority of over 65s are owner-occupiers, and there is considerable reliance on the social rented sector (25.6% all over 65 properties in Greater Manchester; 42.4% in Manchester; compared to 19.8% nationally). Current trends will see more older households renting privately, currently 3.6%.