Residents and staff at Abbeyfield House in Garstang welcomed Lancaster MP Cat Smith to mark Supported Housing Week.

The week highlights the importance of sheltered housing in helping older people live independently and the need for long-term funding to protect the sector’s future.

Abbeyfield House is managed by the not-for-profit Abbeyfield Living Society (ALS), which provides sheltered housing, residential care and independent living for older people across England.

The visit gave residents the opportunity to meet their local MP, share their experiences and explain what makes Abbeyfield House special.

Lancaster and Wyre MP Cat Smith visited Abbeyfield House in Garstang during Supported Housing Week.

placeholder image — Lancaster and Wyre MP Cat Smith visited Abbeyfield House in Garstang during Supported Housing Week.

They also talked about her career in politics, her pride in being a ‘Lancashire lass’, and the boating community on the nearby canal.

The residents also shared that they very much enjoyed visits from local schoolchildren, especially at Christmas, and Ms Smith promised to ask the headmaster about the possibility of a visit from

some of the children to Abbeyfield House when she next speaks to him.

Following a tour of the scheme, the MP also spoke with staff about working for ALS and the challenges facing supported housing providers.

Cat Smith MP said: “It was a pleasure to visit local residents at Abbeyfield House in Garstang for Supported Housing Week. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting older people, giving residents the independence of their own space while making sure no one is left without company or support.

“Speaking with residents, it was clear how much they value the safe, welcoming environment and the strong sense of community.

“We need to make sure services like Abbeyfield House, and others across the North-West and around the country, are properly supported, so that they can carry on delivering the high-quality care and community older people deserve.”

Supported Housing Week is an NHF campaign raising awareness of the value of supported housing and calling for greater government support.

Its priorities include sustainable long-term funding, investment in wider public services such as mental health and social care, and protecting Housing Benefit for supported housing rents and service charges.

This year, ALS is celebrating its 70th anniversary, marking seven decades of providing housing and support for older people guided by the values of care, compassion and community.