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Sheltered housing comes in many forms, either publicly or privately
owned, and is a good solution for people who want to live independently
but with the reassurance of knowing help is at hand if needed. You rent
or buy accommodation that is specially designed for older people, with
an alarm system linked to a resident warden. The choice ranges from
luxury apartments and bungalows to self-contained flats, bedsits and
rooms with shared facilities.
Types of sheltered housing
Sheltered housing comes in three basic categories:
- local authority (to rent only)
- housing association (to rent or part-buy)
- private developments (to buy only)
The standard of housing, level of warden assistance and provision of
communal and other facilities vary widely from scheme to scheme. You
need to look at each scheme individually before you decide what to aim
for. See below (Important points to consider with sheltered housing)
for the kind of questions worth asking.
The first decision to make is whether to rent or buy. If you own your
own home already, you'll probably want to buy, both for the investment
and security and because the local authority or housing association
are unlikely to offer your rented housing. As a homeowner, you won't
get priority unless your property is in a poor state of repair or lacking
basic amenities.
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