Article

Housing affordability is not just about youth. 15,000 seniors are homeless

As hard as it is for young people to get a foot on the property ladder, it’s even harder for pensioners and low to middle income renters to get a foot in the door ... any door. Private rental accommodation is now more unaffordable than owner-occupied. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, people who rent spend more of their income on housing than people with a mortgage.

Nieves Murray

2017

Themes:

Housing Affordability, Private Rental, Policy

Three charts on: poorer Australians bearing the brunt of rising housing cost

Rising housing costs are hurting low-income Australians the most. Those at the bottom end of the income spectrum are much less likely to own their own home than in the past, are often spending more of their income on rent, and are more likely to be living a long way from where most jobs are being created.

John Daley, Brendan Coates, Trent Wiltshire

2017

Themes:

Private Rental, Housing Affordability

Number of homeless elderly people surges by 100 per cent in seven years

The number of elderly people becoming homeless in England has surged by 100 per cent in seven years.

May Bulman

2017

Themes:

Ageing Population, Affordable Housing, Policy

'Ticking time bomb': Older Australians face housing crisis

Australian retirees will face a housing crisis within 15 years unless urgent action is taken, according to the Council on the Ageing. It drew attention to the impact on older Australians of rising prices, rising rents, huge mortgage debt and the scarcity of suitable homes. The assumption that Australians retire in a home they own underpins the nation’s superannuation and pension systems, but thi

Jackson Stiles

2017

Themes:

Ageing Population, Retirement, Private Rental, Policy, Home Ownership

Single women face a frightening future of homelessness in Australia

Only about 6 per cent of homeless people in Australia are sleeping rough; the rest are in temporary accommodation, sleeping in their cars or couchsurfing. And one of the most shocking trends from the data is the increase in homelessness among older women.

Jane Gilmore

2017

Themes:

Gender, Policy, Single people & housing stress, Poverty & homelessness

Housing costs force Queensland’s age pensioners into poverty

Queensland couples who rely on the age pension and rent in the private market are at the greatest risk of living in poverty compared to other seniors.

Ellen Lutton

2017

Themes:

Ageing Population, Aged Pension, Affordable Housing, Private Rental

Homeless in Paris: The Darker Side of the City of Light

Official statistics from 2012 put the number of people living without shelter in France at 141,500, an increase of 44% since 2001. Broadly speaking, homelessness is a middle-aged problem. Almost half of people living on the street are between the ages of 30 and 49, compared with 26% of people over 18 and 25% over 50.

Paul McQueen

2017

Themes:

Housing Affordability, Policy, Private Rental, Social Housing

Retirement Villages Approaching Capacity - Where Will Our Seniors Live?

Occupancy of retirement villages in Australia is close to capacity, highlighting the forthcoming shortage of age appropriate housing for senior Australians in their local communities.

Property Council of Australia

2017

Themes:

Ageing Population, Retirement Housing

Why older Australians don’t downsize and the limits to what the government can do about it

Encouraging senior Australians to downsize their homes is one of the more popular ideas to make housing more affordable. The trouble is, incentives for downsizing would hit the budget, but make little difference to housing affordability. This article looks at government incentives that could release housing stock without financially penalising older home owners.

John Daley, Brendan Coates

2017

Themes:

Ageing Population, Downsizing, Policy