FAQs

• It is the Council’s plan for improving the range and quantity of housing suitable for older people to help them live independently, safe and well in their own homes.
• It will also look at improving help and services for the home that can support independence. 
• It will be a five-year plan setting out priorities for the Council and its partners supported by an action plan.

• Sheffield has a growing older population but not enough age-friendly housing that can support older adults to maintain their independence.
• Some areas have no specialist older people's housing options at all.
• Sheffield has many older homes that can be difficult to maintain and adapt to changing needs.
• Most people prefer to live independently for as long as possible in their own home and housing, health and care services sometimes need to work better together to support this.

It covers housing that is available for ownership or rent (from both social and private landlords) in two broad categories:

• Age-friendly general needs or mainstream housing that is for people of all ages but which can be particularly suitable for some people in later life, such as people with reduced mobility or people looking to downsize / rightsize. It can include options for downsizing and 'inter-generational' housing that allows different adult generations to live comfortably together.
• The range of specialist housing specifically for older people able to live with a large degree of independence but who may need or want the security of some support and/or care provided onsite. This includes sheltered / retirement housing, assisted living / extra care housing and larger scale developments such as retirement villages.

• We want to hear what the public and partners think about the draft Strategy and we will make changes based on this feedback. 
• This will help to ensure the final version of the Strategy reflects the main priorities of Sheffield's older residents and provides them with more housing choices and better support to live safe, well and independently in their home.
• Through the consultation we will also explore with a wide range of partners how we can work together to deliver the Strategy's ambitions and priorities.

• Support that helps older adults to stay living safe and well in their current home or find a home that better meets their needs. This includes a range of help that can be provided by a variety of services and different organisations, such as guidance about different housing options; support with essential repairs, maintenance, and adaptations; technology and aids that assist independence; and help with making the home energy efficient and better equipped to meet the challenges of a changing climate.

• The Strategy is broadly aimed at people  approaching retirement age and over. 

• No, the strategy covers people living in all tenures - homeowners, private renters and social renters (council and housing association tenants).

• Members of the public, with a particular focus on older adults, typically approaching or over retirement age.
• Professionals working across the housing, health, care, energy and voluntary sectors who have a role to play in providing more housing choices and support for older adults to live well in their home.

• We aim to have the final Strategy approved and published in summer 2025.

• These are homes that are available to people of all ages, but which are particularly suitable for people in later life, such as homes suitable for downsizing into and which are easily accessible and adaptable. 

• Housing specifically for older people who are able to live independently in their own self-contained home with support and sometimes care available.
• There are a variety of types and descriptions which include sheltered / retirement housing and extra care / assisted living housing.

In addition to the online consultation on Have Your Say Sheffield, there will be:

• Consultation in shopping centres in different parts of Sheffield.
• Paper copies of the survey made available at libraries and First Point Centres
• Paper copies made available at some specialist older people's housing schemes 
• Attendance at existing meetings of partners 

• The draft Older People's Housing Strategy is one of the 'junior' strategies that will help to deliver Sheffield's Housing Strategy 2024-2034 by addressing the key housing challenges and priorities of older adults. 
• The draft Older People's Housing Strategy is themed around the same 5 main ambitions of the parent Strategy to ensure it will be fully aligned and complement the parent Housing Strategy.     

• An action plan will be developed to deliver the Strategy's priorities which will involve a range of partners working together across the public, private, housing, health, care, energy and voluntary sectors.
• We have already begun talking to some partners about their involvement and we will continue to explore this with them during this consultation. 

• We have recently asked the public and partners a lot about their views on housing and we have used the feedback to help develop our 10-year housing strategy, as well as other housing policies.
• In 2023 we also asked older adults to tell us about their housing priorities and the challenges they faced. This 'first' consultation phase and the feedback received last year to develop the 10-year housing strategy have helped us to develop the draft Older People's Housing Strategy and we just want to make sure we've got it right. 

The wording of some of the draft Strategy's priorities has been simplified in the survey to help make the questions easier to answer. 

The Strategy focuses on housing and support that enables older adults to live independently, and which can sometimes delay or even prevent the need to move into a care home. However, more information about the Council's strategy for supporting people with care needs can be found in Our adult social care vision and strategy.

The Council’s Strategic Housing Service: 

Telephone (0114) 2736396

Email HousingStrategy@sheffield.gov.uk