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Older people's housing: choice, quality of life and under-occupation

Perhaps it will not come as a surprise that 'under-occupation' (according to the current government definition) is not limited to older households: nearly half of the 8 million under-occupying households have at least one member under the age of 55. But it is true, proportionally more among the older households under-occupy, especially among owner-occupiers.

Over three-quarter of older households are owner-occupiers, and at least in theory, the majority will have a choice about moving or not, and if so, where. As the study argues, staying put can be the right choice just as well as moving. However, the current offer of general and specialist housing for those who do decide to move is limited in volume, tenure options and design.

So why is there not a wider choice of housing for older people, both mainstream and specialist?

Read the short paper by Jenny Pannell, Hannah Aldridge and Peter Kenway below

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Older people's housing: choice, quality of life and under-occupation (opens new window)

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has just published findings from a study by the New Policy Institute. The study looks at where the 7.3 million older households live in England, patterns of under-occupation, and the housing choices on offer should older people decide to move. Perhaps it will not come as a surprise that 'under-occupation' (according to the current government definition) is not limited to older households: nearly half of the 8 million under-occupying households have at least one member under the age of 55. But it is true, proportionally more among the older households under-occupy, especially among owner-occupiers. Over three-quarter of older households are owner-occupiers, and at least in theory, the majority will have a choice about moving or not, and if so, where. As the study argues, staying put can be the right choice just as well as moving. However, the current offer of general and specialist housing for those who do decide to move is limited in volume, tenure options and design. So why is there not a wider choice of housing for older people, both mainstream and specialist?