The Muslim Council of Britian welcomes the inclusion of our insights in the “The Older People’s Housing Taskforce Report: Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population”.
The report states:
“The UK’s ethnic minority population is also ageing and, according to the 2021 Census, those aged 65+ stands at 700,000 (1.2% of the total population). The 2021 Census recorded 2.17 million people aged 50 and over with Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds living in England – an increase of 80% from ten years earlier.
Further, religious diversity is increasing in the UK. For example, the Muslim Council of Britain estimates number of Muslims aged 65 and over is estimated to increase from 110,000 in 2011, to 450,000 by 2036.”
MCB Secretary-General, Zara Mohammed, welcomed this report saying:
“This report comes at a critical time, we commend the recognition of the challenges faced by older individuals in Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communities, including the critical need for faith and culturally sensitive housing.
This represents a vital step forward in ensuring that housing and care provision for the ageing population meets the diverse needs of our society.”
As the UK’s ageing population becomes increasingly diverse, existing provisions must now address the varied needs and requirements of these communities. Our older population is growing and becoming more diverse. Over 65s are 18.6% of our population (up 2% points in ten years), with 8% born outside the UK. Thus, housing that respects faith and cultural sensitivities—through features like prayer spaces, culturally appropriate meals, and bilingual support—plays an essential role in promoting wellbeing and fostering a sense of community among older people.
We also welcome the collaboration between Agudas Israel Housing Association (AIHA) and North London Muslim Housing Association (NLM), who worked with Abdul A Ravat of the Abbeyfield Living Society and Chair of the National Housing Federation’s Older Person Housing Group in organising a visit for Taskforce Chair Professor Julienne Mayer and Taskforce Member Professor Les Mayhew and colleagues. This visit to North London provided invaluable insights into the ways these associations are addressing the housing, care, and support needs of older citizens from the two respective communities then add the following:
As Professor Meyer quoted at the time:
“As demographics shift, we urgently need tailored housing solutions for older people across England, especially those from faith and social minority groups. It was an absolute pleasure to visit Cazenove Road and Fradel Lodge – learn about their histories, celebrate their founders, and speak with residents and staff about their positive experiences of living and working there. Seeing the Muslim Community and the Orthodox Jewish Community work in harmony was truly uplifting, especially during these troubled times. I left with a sense of renewed hope”.
The MCB’s ‘Elderly and End of Life Care for Muslims in the UK’ report, published in August 2019, provides critical insights into the growing demands of elderly care in British Muslim communities. We are pleased that the task force has drawn upon its findings, and we extend our gratitude to Professor Les Mayhew for highlighting this important contribution.
Faith-based organisations must work collaboratively with local authorities to support the growing and diverse ageing population, ensuring that their needs are met with dignity, care, and inclusion. As demographics shift, it is imperative that planning and provision reflect the realities of our society in the UK.
Abdul A Ravat, Member of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Research & Documentation Committee, Abbeyfield Living Society and Chair of the National Housing Federation’s Older Person Housing Group had the following to say:
“The challenges of addressing the realities of an ageing and increasingly diverse population and their impact on housing, health, and care have been left untackled for decades, and successive Governments have not fundamentally addressed this adequately.
All of us, working in this sector and with older citizens welcome the publication of the Taskforce’s Report by this Government. I want to put on record that the open approach adopted by the Chair of the Taskforce Professor Julienne Meyer and her team was something unique and rarely observed in public service.
It is now crucial that all the recommendations are implemented quickly and this Government engages more widely and with older people themselves, including those from seldom heard and faith-based communities, to ensure the needs of everyone are reflected in its housing strategy. We also need to see action across the board and for this Government and its Delivery Agencies and Partners to start the change that will ensure everyone in our society can Age Well and have affordable choices in their housing and care.
I am hugely proud of the role I was able to play in ensuring that diversity, faith and choice is reflected and no doubt the MCB and others in this space stand ready to continue to robustly review and deliver many of the recommendations presented in the Taskforce report”.
[ENDS]
Notes to editors:
- For media enquiries, contact: media@mcb.org.uk
- For full online read visit: https://mcb.org.uk/mcb-welcomes-the-older-peoples-housing-taskforce-report-2024/
- Contact Abdul A Ravat: a.ravat@abbeyfield.com