THE head of Manningham Housing Association has told a Westminster inquiry there needs to be better choices for older people from BAME communities to downsize their properties.

Giving evidence in the House of Lords to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing and Older People investigation into the regeneration of outdated sheltered housing, Lee Bloomfield also called for more research into the challenges faced in areas with a high percentage of BAME residents.  

The chief executive said MHA - which owns 1,400 properties in Bradford and Keighley but has more than 2,000 people on waiting lists - has adopted a “patch and mend approach to try and keep older people in their current homes” including adaptations.

Mr Bloomfield added: “Intergenerational living - the old assumption that people from BAME groups look after their older parents and grandparents at home - is an oversimplification.  It can no longer be expected that extended families will take on the sole responsibility for their relatives as they themselves grapple with the demands of contemporary modern life.”

He told the inquiry that “one size fits all does not work for all groups and places,” adding, “We need better choices for older people from BAME communities and we need different solutions.”