Over-60s face big issues with housing

Housing issues such as affordability are becoming real talking points in Australian politics at the moment.

But, unfortunately, most of the debate seems to be focused around how to make housing more affordable for millennials.

So what about those of us over-60?

We’re facing housing challenges too. Even for those of us who own our own homes, there are issues we could be facing when we choose to downsize.

From struggling to find a rental and pay rent as a single woman over-60 to sitting on a waiting list for an aged care facility or community housing, there are many housing issues facing over-60s.

As you would have heard, Australia’s ageing population is set to grow in the coming years – and it’s putting pressure on vacancy rates in retirement villages, aged care facilities and seniors-friendly housing options.

CEO of Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA) Pat Sparrow said it was a very concerning situation for older Australians.

“The demand for seniors housing is expected to increase significantly in line with the ageing of the population, and in particular for older women living in private rentals,” she told Starts at 60.

“They (older women) often have lower assets than men of the same age due to time out of the workforce.”

There are housing models out there for over-60s such as independent living units, retirement villages, aged care and mobile home communities, but there are increasing calls for more focus to be put on how to create affordable housing solutions for older Australians.

“There needs to be a proper examination of housing models that can provide secure and affordable housing solutions for older people and Government support to prevent insecure housing or homelessness in the older aged group,” Sparrow said.

“Planning for age friendly housing needs to consider the design, demand, affordability, supply and location of housing solutions for this age group.”

Planning for retirement living options is also an issue that’s been highlighted by the Property Council of Australia as having an effect on housing for over-60s.

Ben Myers, the Executive Director of Retirement Living with the PCA said research shows the number of residents living in retirement villages will double to almost 400,000 within a decade.

“Retirees have to have attractive retirement living options, and state and local planning schemes can make this more difficult than it should be,” he told Starts at 60.

“Unless things change, there won’t be enough villages around to meet the demand, which increases the risk of trapping people in unsuitable homes and depriving them of housing choice.

“Our previous research indicates there is a clear need to improve awareness and develop a proactive attitude about the retirement living sector among planners, policy makers and councils, to overcome the barriers to construction and development of new villages, and the redevelopment of existing villages.”

The Property Council is also pushing for bonuses to “incentivise” retirement living development.

“We’d also like to see incentives and bonuses to incentivise retirement living development, including plot ratio, height, setbacks and car parking flexibility,” Myers said.

“Changes in planning that facilitate the development of new communities will ensure our sector can continue to extend people’s ability to live independently and happily, and in turn ensure retirement villages remain accessible to senior Australians.”

And the statistics show older people are already facing a housing crisis of their own.

The Housing for the Aged Action Group has published statistics on their website, which reveal some of the figures behind the big issues affecting housing for older Australians.

Among those figures is the 2011 Census figure, which revealed more than 14,000 people over the age of 55 were homeless (approximately 1 in 7 homeless people).

While that’s lower than the proportion of the population who are over-55, just 6% of clients of homeless services during the same period were over-55. According to HAAG, that means that there’s a lack of support for older people who are homeless.

While back in 2011, 60.5% of Australians over-55 owned their own home, an increasing number were taking on mortgages later in life. Meanwhile, the number of older Australians renting also increased. In Victoria alone, the number of over-55s renting jumped by 44% between 2006 and 2011.

And affordability of rent is also an issue. According to the HAAG, renting a one bedroom flat in Melbourne would cost a pensioner 63% of their income.

So, what help is out there for older Australians struggling to find housing?

Well, there is the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, which helps Australians over the age of 55 find housing if they’re homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The government subsidised programme, available through My Aged Care, helps at risk older Australians find suitable accommodation and provides advice and assistance with housing application forms, rent relief, bond assistance and tenancy.

But the Housing for the Aged Action Group is calling for more to be done to support older Australians with housing stress.

They’re calling on the state and federal governments to establish “an older persons housing strategy” to “develop a plan for the future housing needs of older Australians”.

According to the group, an older persons housing strategy would ensure there was an adequate housing supply for older Australians, provide a range of housing options to suit the needs of older people, better regulate the private rental sector to allow older people to have longer term leases and provide housing services to assist older people make informed decisions about their housing needs.

What do you think? Do you agree there are big issues for older Australians when it comes to housing? Have you ever experienced issues with housing as an older Australian?