<p><span>More than three million older people want to downsize but are “put off” thanks to a range of factors, according to a report released today (August 13), with retirement housing leaders calling for the government to set a goal of building </span><span>30,000 </span><span>retirement properties per year. </span><span></span></p> <p><span>The report by Homes for Later Living - a consortium consisting of Churchill Retirement Living, McCarthy &amp; Stone and Lifestory Group - with research by former Treasury economist Chris Walker, reveals that </span><span>25% of people aged 65 or over would like to move to a smaller home suitable for their needs, but factors including a lack of choice over suitable accommodation and the upheaval of moving deter them from doing so. </span></p> <p><span>This disinclination is impacting older people’s health and preventing first time buyers and young families from accessing or moving up the property ladder, Homes for Later Living said. </span></p> <p><span>The findings, partly based on polling by Populus of more than 2,000 people in July, indicate that out of the 12.3 million people aged over 65 living in England, around 3.1 million feel they have to “stay put” in their current homes. </span></p> <p><span>Building more specialist retirement housing would help remedy this, …