APPG calls for creation of intergenerational Communities to tackle chronic shortage of housing for older people
18 March 2026
An APPG inquiry co-sponsored by Places for People has today published a new report calling for council planners to embed intergenerational Communities into local masterplans. The recommendation is one of several proposed measures to help tackle the housing crisis affecting People of all ages.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Housing and Care for Older People launched the inquiry – also sponsored by Riverside – in early 2025 to explore how mixed‑age Communities can be better integrated and to address the chronic undersupply of high‑quality homes for older People.
With England’s population continuing to age, nine in ten councils report they do not have enough specialist housing to meet growing demand.
Following a year-long inquiry, the APPG’s report – titled Creating Intergenerational Communities, chaired by Lord Best and written by Housing LIN – outlines the significant social and economic benefits of mixed‑age neighbourhoods. It finds that when places are designed to encourage intergenerational interaction, they help reduce loneliness and isolation, strengthen informal support networks, and create opportunities for learning and skill-sharing. They also help new developments grow into thriving, cohesive Communities where People feel connected and supported to live well.
Giving expert evidence throughout the inquiry, Places for People’s Group Managing Director of Communities Rachel Crownshaw and Riverside’s Chief Care and Support Officer John Glenton emphasised that mixed-age Communities can be transformational – boosting Customers’ happiness, health, and wellbeing.
PfP is already embedding a generational approach into the master-planning of two major developments, Chapelton in Aberdeenshire and Gilson Park in East Hertfordshire. Both developments prioritise intergenerational mixing, bringing together affordable, private and later-living homes through thoughtful master-planning and well-connected to local amenities to support accessibility and interaction between age groups.
Riverside, in partnership with Hull City Council, is providing 310 one and two-bed apartments across three ‘all age’ intergeneration extra care Schemes. Support workers foster positive relationships between Customers through a co-produced events programme focussing on health and wellbeing, volunteering and skill sharing.
The APPG’s latest inquiry heard that Communities like these help older People to ‘rightsize’ when their needs change – freeing up much-needed family housing while enabling them to stay connected to their support networks and familiar neighbourhoods.
PfP is highlighting the wider impacts of over- and under-occupancy in social housing, publishing a rightsizing report with Cambridge University and now running pilots across its stock. The findings call for a coordinated national rightsizing strategy to address the mismatch between household needs and available homes – an essential step towards creating truly intergenerational Communities, both existing and new.
Rachel Crownshaw, Group Managing Director of Communities, at Places for People, said: “A home is more than a building – it’s the Community around it. Strong social connections and supportive neighbourhoods are proven to improve health, wellbeing and longevity. Places for People’s focus on intergenerational places ensures People can stay rooted in their Communities for longer, living happier, healthier and more independent lives.
“With planning reform now moving forward and greater funding certainty, we have a generational chance to accelerate social and affordable housing, including the later living homes our ageing population needs. Policymakers, housebuilders and providers must use this moment to create truly intergenerational Communities with real housing choice.”
Lord Best, co-chair of the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People said: "The way we build homes today is too often driving generations apart, and that has real costs for all of us, young and old alike. This inquiry shows that it doesn't have to be this way. Where developers and planners have the vision to create genuinely intergenerational Communities, the results are remarkable: mutual help with everyday activities, reduced loneliness, savings for health and care budgets, and more rewarding lives for all. We are calling on mainstream housebuilders, social housing providers and planners to embrace this opportunity. Building homes that work for all ages isn't just good for older People. It adds value to every Community, for every generation."