Credit: Older Americans 2016 report
A sizeable minority of older adults in America are living housing that is either too costly, too crowded or physically inadequate, according to a new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.
The report leverages data from numerous government sources, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, and a dozen other agencies, to form insights on seniors in America in 2016.
From the report:
While housing cost burden has remained the most prevalent housing problem for all older American households over the years, some older American households and intergenerational households continue to face physically inadequate housing problems, such as housing that lacks complete plumbing or has multiple and major upkeep problems. These households also have crowded housing situations, which are households that have more than one person per room.
Specifics:
* Approximately 39 percent of both older-owner/renter households (households with a householder or spouse age 65 and over) and older-member households (households with a member age 65 and over who is not the householder or spouse) have housing problems. The most prevalent housing problem remains cost burden (expenditures on housing and utilities that exceed 30 percent of household income).* While cost burden has generally increased over time, between 2009 and 2013 the prevalence of cost burden decreased from 40 to 36 percent for older-owner/renter households and from 39 to 34 percent for older-member households. In comparison, the prevalence of housing cost burden for all other U.S. households (households without one or more persons age 65 and over) decreased from 36 to 34 percent over the same time period.
Read the full, 200-page report here.
