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Housing older Australians: Loss of homeownership and pathways into housing assistance

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel Ong

    (Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Curtin University, Australia)

  • Gavin Wood

    (Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Australia)

  • Val Colic-Peisker

    (School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Australia)

Abstract

In Australia and other ‘homeownership societies’ it has been conventional to think of housing pathways in terms of a smooth linear progression, leading to outright ownership in middle age and a retirement buffered by low housing costs. This vision of the welfare role of homeownership is an important buttress of Australian retirement incomes policy. However, this vision has been challenged in recent years as growing numbers of older Australians lose home ownership and consequently transition onto housing assistance programmes. Using Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey data we analyse pathways into housing assistance. A transition model is estimated that specifies older Australians’ pathway to housing assistance status as a function of key socioeconomic and demographic determinants such as wealth and debt, health, marital status, tenure and employment history programmes. We find that those losing home ownership have a higher chance of becoming users of housing assistance programmes than similarly positioned longer-term renters, a result that is particularly evident among ex-owners that are exposed to adverse biographical events. The theoretical implications of our findings for the scholarship on housing pathways are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel Ong & Gavin Wood & Val Colic-Peisker, 2015. "Housing older Australians: Loss of homeownership and pathways into housing assistance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(16), pages 2979-3000, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:52:y:2015:i:16:p:2979-3000
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098014550955
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hendershott, Patric H. & Ong, Rachel & Wood, Gavin A. & Flatau, Paul, 2009. "Marital history and home ownership: Evidence from Australia," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 13-24, March.
    2. Sharon Parkinson & Beverley Searle & Susan Smith & Alice Stoakes & Gavin Wood, 2009. "Mortgage Equity Withdrawal in Australia and Britain: Towards a Wealth-fare State?," European Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 365-389.
    3. Judith Yates, 2000. "Is Australia's Home-ownership Rate Really Stable? An Examination of Change between 1975 and 1994," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 37(2), pages 319-342, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Julie Byles & Cassie Curryer & Kha Vo & Peta Forder & Deborah Loxton & Deirdre McLaughlin, 2018. "Changes in housing among older women: Latent class analysis of housing patterns in older Australian women," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(4), pages 917-934, March.
    2. Rachel Ong & Gavin A Wood & Melek Cigdem, 2022. "Housing wealth, mortgages and Australians’ labour force participation in later life," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(4), pages 810-833, March.
    3. Stone, Wendy & Rowley, Steven & Parkinson, Sharon & James, Amity & Spinney, Angela & Huang, Donna, 2020. "The housing aspirations of Australians across the life-course: closing the ‘housing aspirations gap’," SocArXiv tsfmg, Center for Open Science.
    4. Geoffrey Meen, 2016. "Spatial housing economics: A survey," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(10), pages 1987-2003, August.
    5. Alan S Duncan & Amity James & Steven Rowley, 2019. "Getting our house in order? BCEC Housing Affordability Report 2019," Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Report series FWA12, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School.

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