Independent Living Units: The Forgotten Social Housing Sector

Public and community housing are well documented as housing options for older people with relatively low value assets and low incomes. However, other not-for-profit (NFP) organisations also provide housing for this group. Commonly known as independent living units (ILUs), they are provided mainly by organisations within the aged care sector.Most of these organisations and the stock they manage developed as the result of subsidies provided by the Australian government between 1954 and 1986 under the Aged Persons’ Homes Act (APHA). They have largely been forgotten as a key social housing sector providing housing for older persons.