Care & Repair, a charity set up to improve the housing and living conditions of older people and disabled people, has just published a report entitled A Perfect Storm: an ageing population, low income home ownership, and decay of older housing. The report looks at the problems older people on a low income are facing as repair and maintenance of their home becomes increasingly unaffordable. This problem is becoming more and more acute as the demographic profile of the country shifts with more people living longer, and as a result of a radical shift from renting towards home ownership in lower income groups.
The report notes that the situation has been exacerbated because:
- The rise in low income home ownership has corresponded with decreasing government expenditure on repair and regeneration of private sector housing
- Housing policies have largely focussed on enabling people to become home owners, whilst neglecting to consider long term affordability over the life course
- Government housing help for low income groups is almost entirely directed towards tenants, even though low income home owners now outnumber low income tenants
To read more download the full report.
Sustainable Neighbourhoods Action Group 