Living locally to a ripe old age age in Sydney

Many parts of Sydney were facing a “rude shock” from insufficient stocks of affordable housing to meet a significant future demand of an ageing population, the Benevolent Society believes.

“Based on existing stocks of appropriate housing, many people wanting to live out their lives in their local neighbourhood will be forced to go elsewhere,” said the Society’s general manager, ageing, Barbara Squires.

“The other side of the coin is the additional upward pressure this scenario will have on taxpayer funding for aged care. The fact is, Australia’s older population is growing at an unprecedented rate. In 2006 there were 2.7 million people over the age of 65. During the next 30 years, the older-old group is expected to increase most rapidly, as the Baby Boomer generation enters late old age.”

Ms Squires said total Australian Government and state and territory recurrent expenditure on aged care was more than $9 billion a year, with some $5.6 billion allocated to costs of nursing homes and hostels.

“As in many other parts of Australia’s inner cities, Sydney has undergone considerable gentrification over the past 20 years. Change from being predominantly working class areas has created some particular social and financial pressures for long-term residents, namely older people,” Ms Squires said.  “These pressures are particularly felt by low income older renters, and by low income home owners, when declining health makes their housing unsuitable. 

“For owners, their home represents a significant potential asset, but one that can generally only be realised if they move out of the local area. This jeopardises their social networks and informal sources of support. 

“The type of housing stock – for example, large numbers of two and three storey walk-up blocks – also offers challenges for older people in poorer health. 

“Major modifications to enable older people to remain living in their own homes – even with visiting care services – may be impossible.”

There are limited housing options for older homeowners on low or moderate incomes whose home does not allow them easily to “age in place” (because of unsuitable design and/or location), but is of insufficient value to enable them to trade down to more appropriate housing in the same area. 

There is a strong preference among older people for staying in their own home for as long as possible, or, if they have to move, in the same neighbourhood. 

“The Society firmly believes there is a need to make more efficient use of government-funded community care, to support older people to live as independently as possible and to encourage informal care,” Ms Squires concluded.