Canberra, August 10: A delegation of older people impacted by the housing crisis is visiting Parliament House in Canberra today to demand better for Australians as they age.
They arrive in Canberra with new research that shows increasing numbers of older people are retiring with mortgage debt or living in private rental. Staggeringly, more than 227,000 older Australians on low incomes living in private rental, are paying unaffordable levels of rent. It’s taking a toll on the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of a large and growing amount of Australians as they age.
Seventy-year-old Marie Sillars, who is a member of the delegation and travelled to Canberra from the Sydney suburb of Ryde where she lives in community housing, says the delegation is there to make sure the voices of older people impacted by the housing crisis are heard.
“We have all lived very different lives, but our common struggles with housing brought us together,” she says.
“The system failed us. We’re here to try and stop that from happening to others.”
The research was commissioned by Housing for the Aged Action Group and conducted by researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, Western Sydney University and Curtin University.
Its findings include:
- 81% of over 55s living in private rentals and in the lowest household income quintile – 112,000 people – are paying unaffordable levels of rent.
- 55% of over 55s living in private rentals and in the second lowest household income quintile – 115,000 people – are paying unaffordable levels of rent.
In the decade from 2011 to 2021 the number of older Australians living in private rental grew by 295,000, an increase of 73%.
At the same time there is a growing number of over 55s living with mortgage debt. In 2021 23% of over 55s had mortgage debt, up from 19% in 2011. That is 581,000 more older Australians living with mortgage debt than a decade ago.
Alongside the experiences of the women in Canberra today and many more older people around the country, the research speaks to the massive crisis facing Australians as they grow older, HAAG executive officer Fiona York says.
“Housing is a human right. It’s fundamental to people’s wellbeing as they age. And yet this research shows how dire the housing situation is for many older Australians,” York says.
“Every single person deserves a home. Governments have a responsibility to ensure everyone living in Australia can access one.
“With increasing numbers of older Australians renting, or retiring with a mortgage, this is a crisis that without action is only going to get worse.”
HAAG and the members of its delegation are calling on the Federal Government to work with the State and Territory governments to:
- Build public and community housing units across the country to house at least 260,000 older renters on low incomes, living in marginal housing or experiencing homelessness
- Fund a range of additional housing options appropriate for older people, including affordable housing, low-cost retirement housing, or co-operative housing
- Strengthen rental protections for tenants by providing for longer leases, setting minimum accessibility and energy efficiency standards, and removing no-fault evictions
- Provide additional tailored specialist services for older people who may struggle to access help otherwise
Access the full report here.
About Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG):
Housing for the Aged Action Group is one of the only Australian organisations specialised in the housing needs of older people. Coming from grass-roots beginnings over 40 years ago, HAAG today is over 800 members strong. It is committed to finding long term solutions to the housing crisis facing older people in Australia.
Supporting quotes from co-authors of the research team
Comment attributable to Prof. Wendy Stone, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology:
“The scale of housing insecurity amongst older people in Australia is significant and growing. More older people are renting in the private rental sector, Australia’s least secure tenure, and more are ageing with mortgages. Urgent action is needed so that all older people in Australia can access secure, affordable housing.”
Comment attributable to Associate Prof. Emma Power, Geography and Urban Studies, Western Sydney University:
“Growing housing insecurity amongst older people is caused by system-wide risks that require system-wide solutions. It’s time for a national housing plan that proactively addresses housing insecurity and ensures access to affordable, secure housing throughout people’s lives.”
Contact details:
Kye White, [email protected] or 0419 11 62 69
Members of the delegation with lived experience of the housing crisis in WA, NSW, QLD and Victoria are available for interview today, either in person in Canberra, or via phone.
