Abstract
The housing options of older people now extend far beyond the traditional choice between staying put and making do, or moving to specialist housing or residential care. A flexible suite of options has emerged, centred on promoting independence and well-being. Valuable insights have been provided into the development, delivery, costs and benefits of these options. Light has also been cast on the experiences and preferences of older people. However, little is known about who gets what housing, where and why. This reflects a tendency within analysis to consider these different housing options in isolation. This study responds by situating the housing options of older people within wider debates about the reimagining of the housing system driven by the neoliberal transformation in housing politics. Taking a case study approach, it explores the gap between the ambitions of policy and realities of provision at the local level, relates this to the particular intersection of state practices and market mechanisms manifest within the case study and, in doing so, rises to the challenge of extending analysis of the impacts of the neoliberal approach on the right to housing to new groups and different settings.
Highlights
Population ageing – involving a shift in population toward older ages – is an established global trend and is forecast to continue for several decades (United Nations, 2015)
This study explores the iterations of these processes across four dimensions of provision deemed key to the housing options of older people
Housing support and assistance services help to ensure that older people are living in safe, appropriate housing that promotes health and well-being
Summary
Population ageing – involving a shift in population toward older ages – is an established global trend and is forecast to continue for several decades (United Nations, 2015). Central has been an emphasis on promoting independent living, through housing support to promote well-being and independence amongst people who choose to stay put, as well as options for people to maintain control of their housing situation by moving in older age to housing that is more appropriate by virtue of size, design, location or support (Abramsson & Andersson 2016; Hillcoat-Nalletamby & Ogg, 2014) These developments appear consistent with the stated preferences of older people and supportive of the ongoing shift in health and social care policy away from high-cost, reactive and bed-based care and toward the promotion of independent living and the provision of care that is preventive, proactive and based closer to people’s homes (Oliver, Foot, & Humphries, 2014; Rechel et al, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
