Progress in housing and the elderly: strengthening management of housing for the elderly | News item

News item | 27-06-2023 | 13:17

The number of elderly people in the Netherlands is increasing. More homes are needed to enable the elderly to live independently for as long as possible, with care if necessary. Many elderly people live in a home that does not suit their stage of life. Moving on to another home improves the possibilities for good care, if necessary, so that the elderly get a better quality of life. By building more life-resistant homes and providing the elderly with information about possible transition homes, Minister Hugo de Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning wants to provide suitable housing for the elderly. The task: build 290,000 additional homes for the elderly up to and including 2030, including 170,000 so-called zero-step homes, 80,000 clustered housing types and 40,000 homes suitable for care. This is stated in the progress report that the minister sent to the House of Representatives today.

“Additional homes are also desperately needed for the elderly. One third of all the homes we are going to build are suitable for the elderly. So that the elderly move from the home where they often can no longer get on very well, to a home where care or other facilities are available and which improves the living enjoyment of the elderly. In addition, I work together with Minister Conny Helder (Long-term Care and Sport). Each family home that becomes available as a result of this flow provides more space for new families. In this way, building for the elderly benefits everyone,” said Minister Hugo de Jonge.

Several regions are off to a good start

In the housing deals concluded, it has been agreed to elaborate the housing tasking for the elderly in 2023 in the local and regional housing programming of municipalities. About a third of the regions are already well advanced in realizing this task, about a third are well on their way and the remaining regions are still at the beginning of this process. The realization of the building assignment requires close cooperation with residential and care parties and coordination with government authorities. The minister therefore calls on the provinces to facilitate this cooperation regionally and to ensure a connection with the regional housing deals and acceleration tables.

Stimulating housing for the elderly

To remove bottlenecks in the construction task for the elderly, the government offers various financial schemes, including: the incentive scheme for meeting rooms in housing for the elderly (SOO) and the incentive scheme for housing and care. In 2022, €28 million from the SOO will be awarded to parties for the construction of approximately 8,500 homes with meeting rooms for the elderly. In addition, the government is currently working with the parties involved to develop the care-appropriate housing incentive scheme. This scheme should stimulate the construction of 20,000 clustered homes suitable for care in the social segment. The government is also currently developing the intergenerational living subsidy scheme to encourage young and old to live together.

Residential care visions for special needs groups and the elderly

The legislative proposal to strengthen the management of public housing stipulates that from 2026 municipalities must draw up a public housing program that incorporates the residential care vision for special needs groups and the elderly. In the residential care vision, the housing and care needs and housing tasks for special attention groups and the elderly are mapped out. From 2026, municipalities will also be required to involve relevant healthcare parties in drawing up local performance agreements, in addition to housing associations and tenants’ organisations. The entry into force of the Public Housing Reinforcement Act is scheduled for 2024.

Expansion of support structure for the elderly

In order to help municipalities, provinces, housing corporations, care and social organizations in realizing the housing task for the elderly, work is currently underway to set up a single central counter for municipalities, provinces, housing corporations, care and social organizations with all kinds of questions about housing for various target groups, including the elderly. The government also offers various support options. For example, an online knowledge and expertise center was launched last year with, among other things, relevant information about laws and regulations, financial arrangements and practical examples about housing for special needs groups and the elderly. In addition, various guidelines are available on how to draw up regionally coordinated residential care visions. To support local and regional parties in the construction task for the elderly, the Housing, Welfare, Care for the Elderly Booster Team has been working since May 2023. In addition, parties can turn to the Expert Team Housing Attention Groups for help and support in drawing up and implementing regional residential care visions for special needs groups and the elderly.

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