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Housing Issues and the Aging of America
The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University just issued its “Housing America’s Older Adults 2018” report as a supplement to its annual “State of the Nation’s Housing Report.” One main takeaway from it? More than half of the households in the U.S. are headed by someone at least 50 years of age. JCHS analysts point out, however, that there isn’t enough “affordable, accessible housing located in age-friendly communities and linked to health supports,” which could be very problematic as the population continues to age.
Other key report facts include:
- Older adults live in diverse arrangements, and tend to have high homeownership rates
- The number of older adults in low-density areas is growing
- The income of older adults that rent lags far behind those who own their own homes
- Nearly 10 million older adults are burdened by housing costs; in 2016, 9.7 million households aged 65 and above spent more than a third of their income on housing
- Older adults are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, and can have difficulties evacuating before a storm
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