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

PurposeAdopting 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.Design/methodology/approachData collection centred on informed multi-stakeholder groups that have significant experience working in the retirement and senior housing sector. Core techniques included desk-based study of secondary academic, consultancy and policy documents. Primary data collection techniques involved primary participation of three Scottish taskforce meetings and interviews with key stakeholders from across the sector.FindingsThe paper concludes that without direct government intervention in the market, the welfare ambition to provide adequate housing for an ageing population will not materialise with significant shortfalls in appropriate stock predicted. To prevent this scenario developing, increased public and private sector interaction is essential.Originality/valueThe research follows the growing concern to provide research that has “real world” relevance. The paper conducts a detailed analysis of the Scottish government's housing strategy and reports on the findings of interviewees with key stakeholders. The paper makes recommendations for greater public/private partnerships.