Fri Apr 26, 07:05
News
LEIDSCHE RIJN > Utrecht residents aged 55 and over who have questions about the home in which they want to grow old can contact the Housing Advisor for the Elderly 55plus from today. The housing advisor is one of the ways in which the municipality of Utrecht, together with partners in the city, ensures that elderly people now and in the future live in a home that suits their wishes and needs. In this way, the existing housing stock is better utilized.
In the Netherlands, people are living independently at home for longer and longer, in their own familiar environment. This is a pleasant prospect for many people, but it also brings new questions and challenges; the pressure on healthcare and the housing shortage will only increase further in the coming years. The Housing Advisor for the Elderly 55plus has now been launched to support the elderly in Utrecht with their housing questions. With the slogan: “55plus live consciously!” residents of Utrecht are challenged to think about their future and the living situation that suits it. This message is in line with the national campaign ‘Talk about tomorrow today’ by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and ActiZ (trade association of healthcare organizations). From now on, the new site of the Housing Advisor for the Elderly is online (www.woonadviseur55plus.nl) and the team can be reached by telephone (030-23 61 804).
Councilor Dennis de Vries is happy with the housing advisor: “As you get older, it is good to think about your future housing needs. Does your current home still suit you? Does your home become too big or the stairs too high at some point? What about facilities in the area? Do family members or acquaintances live nearby who can help? The Housing Advisor helps people answer those questions, and helps if the outcome is that another home is more suitable. This can also have a positive effect on the flow; When older people move, more homes become available for families who often cannot find a place in the city.”
According to De Vries, it is important that more housing is provided, including for the elderly: “All registers must be open. A single measure will never make a difference in the current housing crisis.”
What does the Housing Advisor do?
The housing advisor thinks along with people over 55 for free and personally helps them on their way if necessary. For example, with timely registration with DAK (formerly Woningnet), by searching for possible housing options or suitable new construction, by pointing out priority arrangements when moving or with help with digital information. The Housing Advisor for Seniors 55plus is the successor to the Relocation Advisor for Seniors Utrecht. The municipality of Utrecht and the Utrecht housing associations are the clients.
Neighborhood priority and residential communities for the elderly
The Housing Advisor stems from the Action Plan A home for the elderly, a joint action plan of the municipality, representatives of the elderly themselves, tenants, healthcare institutions, developers, investors, initiators, housing associations and the care office. In the action plan, the partners agreed to make additional efforts to provide more homes and (new) types of housing and residential care that suit the wishes and needs of the elderly.
More actions from the plan are now being implemented. For example, Woonin is building the new-build complex De Tenor in the Utrecht Ondiep district, where elderly people from the neighborhood are given priority for housing under certain conditions. The application of neighborhood priority by corporations in residential complexes for the elderly (and also young people) has been possible since March 22 thanks to an adjustment in the Housing Regulations of the municipality of Utrecht.
Clustered living arrangements can help people live at home longer, meet each other and form a community. We also encourage this through the action plan.
For example, the Aafia residential community opened in Kanaleneiland on March 8, where ten elderly people live together independently. They undertake activities and help and support each other. The residents enjoy living together and knowing that there is always someone there for them.
Another example is the Hof van Leeuwesteyn in Leidsche Rijn, where Woonin realizes a residential concept that focuses on elderly people aged 55 and over with and without care needs and families. The goal is for people to continue living independently here for as long as possible, thanks to residents who are active in the community and the collaboration with AxionContinu, which can provide care at home.
