What we want

The Lifetime Homes standard is a set of measures which, if built in to new homes, could allow people to stay in their homes for much longer as they age.

It was drawn up by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Habinteg Housing Association to make homes safer in the short term and adaptations easier in the long term.

The standard includes:

• an accessible ground floor bedroom, bath or shower;
• sufficient room for a stair lift or provision for a through-floor lift;
• light switches and taps that are easy to turn on and off; and 
• doorways and rooms that provide easy mobility for wheelchair users.

The Government estimates that including the standard at design stage would only cost around £550 per home. This small investment could deliver real benefits to older people in the long term.

We want the Lifetime Homes standard to be embraced by housing providers, builders and policy makers, and to be obligatory in all new housing.

Lifetime homes: the issues
Discover more about the background to this campaign.

What you can do
Take action and make your voice heard.