A/HRC/39/50 community.29 It is therefore particularly relevant to explore how it may be affected when neighbourhoods and communities change, for instance because of rural to urban migration or gentrification. 67. Older persons have an equal right with others to decide where to live and with whom, and not to be forced into a particular living arrangement. This right includes having the necessary means and support enabling them to make decisions and live their lives in accordance with their wills and preferences. 30 Although the right to independent living is referred to in the context of persons with disabilities, international and regional standards enshrine the right of older persons to live in their own home for as long as possible and also to provide for support to age in place. That includes home care and assistance for families of older persons in need of care, which allows for a greater degree of autonomy than institutional care.31 68. Consequently, States have a duty not to interfere with the living arrangements of older persons. They need to be provided with individualized support to continue living in the setting of their choice. Furthermore, States should provide assistance to the families of older persons to allow older persons to remain in their homes for as long as they want and also to maintain the family unit.32 Support must not be tied to a specific locality so that older displaced persons are not stripped of it when forced to leave their places of residence. That is particularly important because older persons may lose useful informal networks that provide neighbourhood assistance when they move into another area. In practice, however, home care and personal assistance for older persons are largely inadequate, underdeveloped and underfunded, thus limiting the choice of older persons to age in place. 69. Living independently does not mean living alone or without support. That right mirrors personal autonomy and involves not being deprived of choice and control about personal lifestyle and daily activities.33 The culture, habits, preferences and needs of the older person shape their decision about where, with whom and how they live their lives, and should be taken into account, as well as the support they require to be able to do so. 70. Independent living also calls for the inclusion and participation of older persons in the community. That includes access to all the services offered to the public without discrimination and to the necessary support services to enable older persons to be fully included and participate in all spheres of social life. 34 Those services encompass transport, health care, public spaces and buildings, shopping, volunteering, leisure, events of a political nature, sports, technology and any other activity in which the older person wishes to participate. 71. It also involves real opportunities for engagement with other social groups and for intergenerational activities, in which both older persons and youth participate on an equal basis. Older persons living in cities are at greater risk of feeling lonely and socially isolated. 35 Gentrification may further exacerbate social exclusion and segregation unless measures are taken to prevent such negative effects. It may alter the generationally mixed and heterogeneous character of neighbourhoods and may aggravate the marginalization of older persons, as well as cultivating ageist attitudes towards the older generation. 72. Gentrification disrupts lifestyles and networks. Older persons lose meeting points, such as community centres, places of worships, seniors’ clubs or even public benches. The closure of institutions that are important to the older population considerably reduces their opportunities for social contact and civic participation. In addition, some activities and services rely heavily on volunteers. There is a need to ensure continuity of such informal 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 See Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, general comment No. 5 (2017) on the right to independent living. Ibid. See Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 6. Ibid. See Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, general comment No. 5, Ibid. HelpAge International, “Ageing and the city: making urban spaces work for older people”, p. 13. 15