Ages and Stages: Meeting the need

With housing, affordability and economic growth inextricably
linked, Ages and Stages has explored the extent to which our
housing system is meeting the demands of the people and
places it supports.

Over the past year, through regional roundtables, public and private sector engagement and data analysis, we have explored how changing life stages intersect with local economies and demographic patterns to shape demand for homes. Industry leaders have consistently told us that the UK is not building enough homes.

The resulting mismatch between homes, services and employment is holding back economic growth, which is increasingly dependent on whether places are providing the right homes to support the people driving that growth.

In this report we focus on how growth, infrastructure and the Industrial Strategy are likely to shift demand patterns and the three shifts that are driving the mismatch:

1. Delayed independence and affordability
2. Family life that is increasingly complex
3. Under-occupation and blocked mobility 

Patterns of economic activity are changing. Growth in the sectors currently being prioritised by the Government as part of its Invest 2035 Industrial Strategy* is not evenly distributed. Instead, it is increasingly concentrated in places with younger populations. As these sectors expand, they are likely to attract and retain more working-age people, placing additional pressure on local housing systems.

Manchester and Cambridge dominate among England’s youngest places for both how much activity is currently happening in Industrial Strategy sectors, and how fast that activity is growing. But smaller cities, such as Lincoln, Norwich and Exeter are also growing – albeit from a lower base. Future housing pressures will be shaped by a combination of shifting demographic demand and changing economic conditions, rather than simply a reflection of where people live today.