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Living longer: implications of housing tenure in later life

living longer cover

This article published by the Office for National Statistics, with information from data from 2015- 2017, highlights the impact of renting on older people, for their:

  • Finances - fewer than half of renting households with somebody over 60 have savings or investments
  • Housing Quality - 9% of older people living in rented home have problems with rats and mice compared to 4% of homeowners
  • Health - renters aged 60-69 are more likely to report bad general health than homeowners, and private renters were more likely to report a longstanding illness than homeowners
  • Accessibility and adaptability of the property - only 7% of newly built properties met the accessibility requirements of: level access, wider doorways and a downstairs toilet

The article concludes with projections of the number of homes to be built by 2050, as well as recent policy changes to help older renters feel confident to challenge their landlords over unsafe housing and policies that have led to improved housing quality.