Seniors housing shortage
A new alliance has formed to lobby for better affordable housing options for older Australians
A newly formed seniors’ housing alliance says Australia will face a seniors housing crisis if the Rudd Government does not take stock of the increasing number of older people in housing stress.
The alliance – made up of Aged and Community Services Australia, Council on the Ageing and Brotherhood of St Laurence – welcomed Government housing initiatives such as the National Rental Affordability Scheme and the Housing Affordability fund.
But it expressed concerns that these initiatives focused disproportionately on younger people.
“Within the broader responses to housing affordability, older people require a fair share of all new resources. Any new initiatives must acknowledge the housing preferences of older people,” an alliance statement said.
The alliance has called on the Government to develop a National Older Persons Housing Strategy at a forum in Canberra.
Such a strategy would include an increase in affordable rental housing options along with changes to building codes to promote adaptable housing.
The group also wants government support for a plan to upgrade and maintain thousands of older independent living units.
