The Hague is ageing rapidly. In 2040, the city is expected to have over 70,000 residents aged 75 and over – almost twice as many as now. This requires new forms of housing and smart solutions. In order to be prepared for this development, the municipality of The Hague is presenting the draft Residential Care Vision 2040: a plan that maps out the challenges that exist and how they can be tackled together with partners. This plan is not only aimed at the elderly, but at everyone who needs a home with support now or in the future. From people with a disability to young people from youth care.
More and more people are getting older, and on average these people are also getting older. The expectation is that in 2040 The Hague will have more than 70,000 residents aged 75 and over, an increase of 88 percent. The number of people aged 65 and over will grow by 45 percent in that time to around 122,000 people. This means that in 2040 no less than 1 in 5 households in The Hague will be a 65+ household.
This ageing population means that there will be a need for around 20,000 residential units that are specifically suitable for the elderly by 2040. These are units that are, for example, on the ground floor. Or units where people from different generations live together, so that the elderly can receive support. Ensuring sufficient residential units for seniors is by far the biggest task from the Residential Care Vision.
Alderman Robert van Asten (Housing): “We should not only look at new construction to meet the changing housing needs of seniors, we will also have to make better use of the existing housing stock. With the Residential Care Vision 2040 as a basis, we can work with our partners to develop innovative solutions that help with this. When seniors move to a place that suits them better, they often leave behind a more spacious home. This also gets the flow going again. Ultimately, all home seekers in The Hague benefit from this.”
A Residential Care Vision for everyone who needs care or support
The Woonzorgvisie concerns everyone who needs suitable housing with care and support now or in the future. In addition to seniors, this concerns people with a physical or mental disability, homeless people, young people from youth care and status holders. These groups all have their own specific housing needs and support requirements. In The Hague, 5,000 to 7,500 suitable housing places are needed for these groups by 2040.
Alderman Mariëlle Vavier (Healthcare): “ The housing shortage is high and the shortage of healthcare personnel is growing. That is why we need new forms of housing and smart, neighbourhood-oriented solutions. This is the only way to ensure that everyone in our city has a suitable place to live, with the attention and care that goes with it. Think of residential groups where people with and without a need for care live together. Or an Oranjehuis: a safe place for victims of domestic violence, where they can live independently with their children and receive the guidance they need. To realise these places, we need each other; the municipality, organisations and residents.”
Collaboration as the key to success
Together with partners such as housing corporations, healthcare and welfare organisations, entrepreneurs and of course the residents themselves, the municipality wants to offer everyone a suitable place to live. To achieve this, feasible and innovative residential care solutions must be sought. In the neighbourhood, the city, the region and possibly also nationally.
That is why many different organisations and people were involved in the development of the residential care vision. For example, residents, housing corporations, healthcare and welfare organisations, experts and interest groups were spoken to. Interviews were held, meetings were organised and working visits were made to inspiring examples in The Hague and other municipalities. 90% of the seventy healthcare organisations approached also completed a questionnaire. This included what they are already doing and where they want to go in the future. This is how the draft Residential Care Vision was truly created together.
Follow-up
The concept of the Residential Care Vision 2040 ‘Caring for a home together’ will be available for inspection until Monday 26 May, both online and at the city hall. During this period, every resident or organisation can respond by submitting a ‘viewpoint’ (an official response). These views will be incorporated into the final version. The municipal council will then decide whether the Residential Care Vision 2040 will be adopted. Read the concept Residential Care Vision .
Text & Image: Gemeente Den Haag, translation The Hague Online