Retirement housing in Victoria: Working together - resident protections and industry viability

On 8 June 2017, 24 representatives from resident advocacy groups, universities, industry, ombudsman schemes, government agencies and regulators met in Melbourne at an Experts’ Forum to discuss the future of retirement housing regulation in Victoria. The Experts’ Forum was convened to consider three key issues arising from the Inquiry’s final report: • Reviewing the Retirement Villages Act 1986 (Vic) • Regulating exit fees • Improving dispute resolution The Forum followed the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the retirement housing sector, which released its final report on 7 March 2017. The vast majority of evidence was received from residents. The retirement housing sector encompasses a range of housing types. More than 45,000 Victorians live in retirement villages, but there are other types of retirement housing including residential parks, rental villages and Independent Living Units. The message to the Inquiry was clear: residents expect change. While many residents generally enjoy life in their choice of retirement housing, many are also frustrated by a system they see as geared in favour of operators.