Investigating and modelling potential demand for retirement housing: the Australian context

Population ageing, which is being driven-up as the ‘baby boomer’ generation are reaching the traditional retirement age, will generate an increased demand for housing alternatives that are more suitable for older people, including retirement village living. Key questions to ask are: (a) what will be the level and propensity for older people to seek to ‘downsize’ rather than ‘age in place’?; (b) what motivates them to do so?; (c) what role do retirement villages play as a housing alternative for older people and what will be the level of demand?; and (d) what will be the locations that are best to develop new villages? Demographic and spatial modelling approaches, as developed by regional scientists, may be used to help address these issues

A push-pull framework for modelling the relocation of retirees to a retirement village: The Australian experience

Although most older people prefer to age in place, nonetheless many do relocate, with a small proportion moving to retirement villages, which provide a purpose designed and built residential and lifestyle environment. Using factor analyses, path analyses, and a push-pull framework, the authors model the decision process of retirees in Australia in order to identify relationships between push-pull factors and predictor variables, using data from a national survey of retirement village residents. The push factors relate to change in lifestyle, home maintenance, social isolation, and health and mobility, whereas the pull factors relate to built environment and affordability, the locational attributes of villages, and the desire to maintain an existing lifestyle. The survey data also identify village attributes considered desirable or undesirable, or important or unimportant. Overall, resident satisfaction with moving is high

Approaches to Homelessness Policy in Europe, the United States and Australia

Workable and effective policies addressing homelessness need to be based on a clear definition of homelessness. This overview of recent policies in the European Union, the U.S., and Australia shows that, even at the very basic level of being able to define and enumerate the homeless, policy approaches are extremely variable. Research indicates the growing significance of the "new homeless," consisting of families, women, and children. Homelessness also needs to be seen as something dynamic that may involve movement into and out of housing and other supports over time. Older policies that address only limited kinds of homelessness and which do not recognize the dynamics involved are likely to be less effective. "Good practice" policy incorporates these changing understandings of homelessness by addressing the housing, psychological and social needs of the homeless, as well as integrating across programs and increasing independence through capacity building