Homes for older Tasmanians – now and into the future

New population projections for Tasmania show the urgency of prioritising housing security for older Tasmanians says Anglicare Tasmania.

Having a suitable place to call home is important throughout our lives. Older people’s health and wellbeing is supported by having an accessible, affordable home and staying connected with their local community. This is called ‘ageing in place’ and is what most older Tasmanians want to do. However, the current housing shortage is making this increasingly difficult, especially for people on low incomes.

“It’s vital that governments at every level intensify their efforts to boost the state’s housing supply to meet the current and forecast needs of older Tasmanians,” said Mary Bennett, Coordinator of Anglicare’s Social Action and Research Centre. “This will also have the flow-on effect of making housing more affordable for people of all ages”.

Tasmania has the oldest population in Australia, with more than one in three people aged 55 years and over. Projections are that in coming decades, older age groups in our population will continue to increase, and people will be living longer. “The job of governments is to ensure Tasmania’s housing system is ready for an extra 25,000 residents by 2032, 95% of whom will be older people,” said Ms Bennett.

The State Government has promised to deliver 2000 social housing properties by 2027 with a focus on two-bedroom dwellings for older people. “However, far greater investment will be required to ensure all older Tasmanians are living in safe, suitable, affordable homes,” Ms Bennett said.  “A successful response will require focused planning and coordination at all levels of government”.

Housing insecurity is already affecting older Tasmanians. The proportion of older people who own their own home is falling, more are renting, and more are paying unaffordable rents. Many of the 4700 applicants for social housing in Tasmania are older people. The top three reasons that older Tasmanians give for seeking housing support are ‘housing affordability stress’, experiencing a ‘housing crisis’, and ‘a lack of family and/or community support”.

The Tasmanian Government has promised to release an Older Tasmanians Strategy in 2024. “There was widespread community consultation on this in 2022 and older people made clear they want action on housing,” said Ms Bennett. “They called for stronger efforts to provide appropriate and affordable housing and to support older people to maintain independence as they age. We trust that the new Strategy will be delivered soon and have a focus on housing”.

For older people, housing insecurity is associated with:

• financial stress as people spend more on housing than they can afford;
• an increased risk of homelessness;
•  people being forced to move, with detrimental effects for their quality of life;
• premature moves into residential aged care;
• social isolation and loneliness; and
• negative impacts on mental and physical health.

Older renters in our State are especially vulnerable and more likely to be living in poverty than other tenants. They can also face increased risk to their health if their home is unsafe or unsuitable. Anglicare supports reform of the Residential Tenancy Act to improve protections for all tenants. These include providing greater security of tenure, and allowing tenants to make minor home modifications to improve accessibility (e.g. handrails, ramps).

Anglicare’s latest Rental Affordability Snapshot showed a critical shortage of private rental properties affordable for people on the Age Pension. “For example, Colin, a single man in his 70s could only have afforded to rent a room in a share house,” explained Ms Bennett. “The only other two properties in Colin’s price range were at a remote location, far from services and his existing community connections”.

“And following divorce, 58 year old Wendy was unable to find a suitable or affordable private rental in the North West,” said Ms Bennett. “She’s living in a caravan parked in her sister’s backyard – one of many older women whose homelessness is hidden,” she said.

The Right to Belong report by Anglicare said moving home has a significant negative impact on older people’s satisfaction with life overall. “Reducing unnecessary moves is important; there is value in modifying homes to make sure they are accessible as we age,” said Ms Bennett. “Governments are also encouraged to explore innovative models. This includes options such as cooperative housing, co-housing and co-ownership”.

“Governments must invest in housing supply to meet the needs of older Tasmanians – now and into the future,” said Ms Bennett. “All of us want to feel valued, connected with our community, and to have the essentials of life. Let’s ensure older Tasmanians have the security of a home they can afford and is right for them as they age”.