‘My home, my life’: Why listening to older Bangladeshi residents must shape housing policy and practice?

By Bashir Uddin, CEO, Bangla Housing Association

For many years, the housing and health realities facing many long established older Bangladeshi residents in East London have remained largely invisible in mainstream research and policy. Yet behind closed doors, families have been quietly navigating overcrowded homes, inaccessible spaces, and complex multi-generational living arrangements that shape their daily lives.

That is why the Amar bari, amar jibon (My home, my life) research project matters so deeply. Led by The Open University in partnership with Bangla Housing Association and Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), this three-year study set out to bring these lived experiences to the forefront. Our role was to ensure the research stayed rooted in community realities, not just statistics, but stories.

Bringing hidden housing pressures into the open

The research focused on Bangladeshi elders (probins in Bangla) aged 50 and over living across Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney, and Redbridge. Through 76 in-depth interviews, the team explored issues that rarely appear in official data, for example,  functional overcrowding, accessibility barriers, home adaptations, and the realities of multi-generational households.

Functional overcrowding is a particularly important concept. A home may meet formal space standards yet still fail to meet the practical needs of those living there - grandparents giving up bedrooms to grandchildren, or several adults sharing a single bathroom. These are the everyday compromises that housing systems too often overlook.

Centring voices that have long been overlooked

Dr Manik Gopinath, Senior Lecturer in Ageing, at The Open University and lead investigator of the study, explains, ‘older Bangladeshi adults have historically been under-represented in both housing and ageing research. By centering probins’ voices, the study shows not only that inequalities exist, but how they accumulate over a lifetime and shape wellbeing in later years.’

The findings were launched at the House of Lords on 5 February, hosted by Lord Best, who described the report as ‘impressive’ and urged policymakers to act on its recommendations. His message was clear: this evidence should inform real change.

Housing that reflects culture, dignity, and community

One of the strongest messages from the research is that housing systems often fail to recognise diverse ways of living and diverse cultural, faith, and inter-generational needs. When homes do not reflect how people actually live, the consequences extend far beyond inconvenience, affecting physical health, mental wellbeing, privacy, and dignity.

Listening to older residents is therefore not simply a consultation exercise; it is the foundation of better policy. Recognising functional overcrowding, investing in home adaptations, and designing services that reflect community realities can help ensure people age well in the homes and neighbourhoods they value.

A call to action

This project is ultimately a call to action for policymakers, housing providers, and communities alike. If we truly want housing systems that support wellbeing and resilience, we must start by listening to those whose voices have been missing for too long.

Housing is never just about bricks and mortar. It is about home, identity, health, relationships, fairness, and recognising the contributions that communities have made  and continue to make to the UK.

Further reading

Executive summary: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/amar-bari-amar-jibon-executive-summary/

Full report: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/amar-bari-amar-jibon-final-report/