Gus Wiseman told the ARCO Annual Conference that he has “yet to find a local authority that really wants to have a very big retirement community in their place”.
Wiseman, director of UK products at German property investor, Patrizia, said;
“I think too often local authorities see older people as an economic cost [and] as importing social care liability into their place.
“They may be interested in improving social care outcomes for the older people they already have.
“But the idea of importing more from outside, it doesn’t really work for them because of financial incentives, [and] all of the cost lies with them, but none of the benefits in terms of tax take.”
He added: “In the UK, we need to change the way that we see an ageing population from just about cost on public services – this very declinist and negative narrative – to one where older people are the future economic growth sector, and everything should be wired around that.
“Local government should feel the immediate benefits of hosting retirement communities; that’s how you get abundance [and] that’s how you get choice.”
Mr Wiseman’s intervention came after Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, addressed the conference.
The minister recognised the need for retirement housing against an increasing demographic of older people, but said that “issues of awareness, understanding and trust” around later living remained.
Baroness Taylor said: “There are significant challenges across supply, demand and the functioning of the market for older people’s housing.”
She added: “On supply, we know there remains a substantial gap between what is currently being delivered and what is needed.
“On demand, we must recognise that older people are not a single uniform group; needs and preferences vary widely, and our housing offer absolutely must reflect that diversity.
“There are still issues of awareness, understanding, and trust.
“Many people simply do not know what options are available, or they feel uncertain about making a move, and there are questions around confidence shaped in part by issues of practice across the wider market, including concerns about quality, charges, resale and many other issues.
“These issues underlie why having a clear plan for this sector really matters because it needs to support a range of models, to provide confidence to consumers and enable delivery in a way that is sustainable over the long term.”
She said she can “guarantee” the government will continue to work with the sector to help “ensure older people have access to more high-quality housing options”.
This article, written by Zainab Hussain, was first published by Inside Housing, July 2026.