News item | 11-23-2022 | 4:05 PM
By accelerating housing construction, better informing and unburdening the elderly during their move and improving the living environment, the cabinet wants to provide suitable housing for the elderly. This is stated in the Housing and Care for the Elderly program that Ministers De Jonge (Housing and Spatial Planning) and Helder (Long-term Care and Sport) presented today.
As the average age of the population changes, so does the need for housing. By accelerating housing construction, building specific homes for the elderly and ensuring sufficient facilities in the district, the cabinet wants to improve the flow. Moreover, a living environment that invites people to exercise and socialize contributes to the fact that the elderly can continue to live fit, happy and independently for longer.
Minister De Jonge: “We are getting older. And we have to prepare well for that. One third of the 900,000 houses we have to build up to and including 2030 must be suitable for the elderly. Building those houses also ensures more throughput. Because if an elderly person leaves a single-family home, it offers space for a family to move there, which in turn creates a free place for a starter. More suitable homes for the elderly are therefore of great added value for everyone.”
Accelerate housing construction
More homes will become available that meet the needs of our elderly. The government is doing this by removing bottlenecks in the construction of homes and strengthening the management of housing for the elderly. To achieve this goal, 290,000 of the 900,000 homes to be built will be made suitable for the elderly. Examples of these homes are so-called zero-step homes without stairs (170,000), clustered forms of housing such as courtyards to promote social contact (80,000) and clustered nursing care places for, for example, people with dementia (40,000). For elderly people who need (very) heavy care, the nursing home will also continue to exist as a possibility to live and receive care. Building agreements are being made with provinces, municipalities and housing corporations about the 900,000 homes.
“In their own environment, people often remain more active and can maintain their own habits. As a result, people can live longer without care. That is what we all want, but also what is needed to keep our healthcare accessible. I want to encourage and enable people to make the step to a suitable home in time, because that way they themselves retain control over their lives and their well-being,” said Minister Helder.
Informing and supporting the elderly
The cabinet wants the elderly to think sooner about living in the future. In addition to building a suitable range, the government is committed to actively informing the elderly about the possibilities, for example through an information campaign. Any obstacles will be addressed. This also has positive consequences for the flow on the housing market.
Improving living environment
Living independently is not just about the home. It is also about the living environment. This means that the neighborhood is accessible, that there are facilities nearby and that the environment invites you to move and meet. In all municipalities, these aspects of the living environment will be included in the local vision on housing and care. The Housing and Care support team supports municipalities in creating that vision. The Chief Government Architect, in collaboration with the Council for Public Health and Society, is preparing concrete designs for improving the living environment.