ERoSH launches 2010 Election Manifesto

ERoSH has launched its Manifesto to urge politicians to promote the ways sheltered housing can help local authorities, and health and social care providers cut costs, whilst delivering their commitments to the well-being and personalisation agendas.

The number of people aged 80 and over is estimated to be 780,000 in 2018 and this is expected to grow to 2.3 million by 2028.

In our 2010 election manifesto we outline how an ageing population will put unprecedented demands on public services, especially health and social care. The manifesto goes on to explain how these can be alleviated by maximising the use and potential of sheltered housing.

We want our members to play an important part in representing the housing, support and health care needs of our ageing population.

You can use our manifesto to raise the profile of sheltered and retirement housing, by lobbying parliamentary and council candidates, in parts of the UK where local elections are also being held on May 6, as well as local authorities, central and local agencies and social care, health care and housing providers.

We hope you will find the manifesto inspiring as it raises issues which need to be addressed to support the evolution of older people's services.

Read the ERoSH Manifesto 2010.

How can you use the Manifesto?

1. Contact your local parliamentary and local council candidates to raise their awareness of the benefits of sheltered and retirement housing. You can download and send the Manifesto with the covering letter.

You can find out who your local parliamentary and local council candidates are by visiting your local authority's website or Hustings.

2. You could also invite your local candidates to visit a sheltered housing scheme so they can see examples of best practice at work and talk to older people who value sheltered housing and/or floating support services.

3. Use our press release and Manifesto to send to your local and regional newspapers.

4. Contact your Supporting People funders and local councillors, for example cabinet members for housing and social care. The Manifesto explains how retaining Supporting People allocations for older people can help manage wider local authority pressures, such as social care costs.
You can find contact details of local councillors on the authority's website.

And finally ... maximise the opportunity of the general and local elections - they only come around every four or five years. It is in all of our interests to raise the issues in the manifesto to ensure a positive future for older people's housing and support services.

If you would like hard copies of the Manifesto and the accompanying letter for circulation, please contact Marie Therese or call 01249 654249.

Thank you for your help with this and please let us know of any positive outcomes.