How to adapt our societies to an ageing population
What can be done at EU level to help national and local policy makers to implement policies for adaptation to ageing? The European Liaison Committee for Social Housing(CECODHAS) report ‘Housing and Ageing in the European Union 2010’ describes the current developments in social and cooperative housing. Case-studies illustrate the answers to the needs of an ageing population. Furthermore, the report proposes policy recommendations for the EU to deal with the contemporary demographic changes.
Description
This report, written by the CECODHAS ageing sub-working group,
tries to look beyond the usual stereotypes of an ageing population.
It tries to identify the real challenges of ageing and includes the
role of the housing sector in the analysis.
10 case-studies are selected. Examples of projects summarized in
the report are co-housing for the elderly, intergenerational
housing, regeneration of neighborhoods through meeting the needs of
the elderly and participation of residents.
Conclusions
The main conclusion of the report is that it is not enough for the EU to just support micro projects in the field of ageing, since generally demographic changes are among the main challenges that the EU will be facing in the near future. An integrated approach for adapting our societies to ageing should be promoted. The report offers 4 recommendations:
- Increasing research capacities for the development of universal design in the field of housing and independent living of elderly people.
- Promoting intergenerational solidarity as part of social and territorial cohesion.
- Boosting services and making jobs valuable.
- Preventing vulnerability, in particular energy poverty.
Contact info
CECODHAS – HOUSING EUROPE
Square de Meeus 18
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 0032 2 541 05 65
Fax: 0032 2 541 05 69
Email: julien.dijol@cecodhas.org
Publication date
December 2009