Sheltered Housing for the Elderly: Policy, Practice and the Consumer

In the early-1980s, the ten million people of retirement age in the UK figured prominently among the disadvantaged and deprived. They were heavily over-represented in sub-standard housing and among those in most need of support from the personal social services.

One form of social provision which gained rapidly in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s was sheltered housing. It was seen to combine housing with care; provided support while fostering independence; and gave scope for flexibility and...