Former Planning Chair says Old People are Are Wicked for Living in Large Homes – not Nimbys

Times Letters

It’s targets that are wicked
There is nothing “wicked” in local people seeking to protect their local environment. Rather, it is wicked to impose housing targets on communities, riding roughshod over their wishes.

The government should look more closely at the underoccupation of existing housing stock. There are many single elderly people rattling around in houses far larger than they need or want. Building higher-density extra-care apartments — where they can live independently but with care on hand — would release homes for families. That is the way forward.
Roy Perry, former chairman, Test Valley borough council planning committee

This is a well known myth. Most newly forming households are smaller households. Unless you build new smaller homes there will be nowhere for overoccupying homes to move to. The solution to over-occupation amongst the old and housing need of the young are not opposite they are the same – build more homes. There is no alternative to building more homes as over a fascist state forcing old biddies to move at gun-point would find a shortage of smaller homes for them to move to. You simply have to build more homes to unlock the logjam. Once you do household formation in the future might be less than projected as the new plus existing stock can filter through and down more efficiently.