The role of the state in encouraging the supply of senior housing: a looming welfare crisis?

The inexorable increase in the demand for senior housing across all countries is well recognised with attention focusing on supply side responses. Adopting a welfare stance, this paper considers whether the neoliberalist approach which has been adopted by successive UK and Scottish governments will achieve optimal societal outcomes or lead to the under provision of senior housing. Housing policy in Scotland with reference to senior housing is analysed over
the period 1999 to 2022. The paper considers the findings of the Scottish Housing-with-care Taskforce which focused on needs around planning, property law and social care integration, along with interviews from key stakeholders across the public and private sector. The paper concludes that without direct government intervention in the market, the welfare ambition to provide adequate housing for an aging population will not materialise with significant shortfalls
in appropriate stock predicted. To prevent this scenario developing, increased public and private sector interaction is essential.