Ageing well in public housing

This report presents the findings of a study into the capacity of the public housing system to support older tenants to age well; an important community expectation around ageing; and ageing in place in particular. Housing and home environments are fundamental to older people’s capacity to age well. In Australia, public housing has traditionally provided an affordable, stable and secure housing option for lower income older people for nearly a century. People aged 55 years and over currently comprise around one-third of public housing tenants nationally. In the coming years, it is expected the demand on the public housing system from lower income older households will increase significantly. The public housing system is under great pressure and facing multiple challenges. This includes demand for housing far exceeding supply; an ageing population; inappropriate and inefficient stock; and increasing complexity in the needs of current and prospective tenants. These pressures and challenges on public housing (and social housing generally) have the potential to impact lower income older households. It also raises questions about how a system under such pressure can offer the housing and related attributes that older people value, and the support that older people require to age well. For this research, we have prioritised the voice of a number of groups: current tenants, previous tenants, people working within the sector and other professionals associated, and interacting with the public housing authorities and older people on a daily basis. This focus within our study, we believe, provides holistic and deep insights into the place of older people in the public housing system today.