An increasing number of older Australians are living in share housing. Share housing has traditionally been associated with student housing and media depictions of the share house as dysfunctional, chaotic. But a growing number of older people are sharing housing.
Generation Rent is fast becoming “The growing trend of share households is attributed to a combination of shifting social norms and a decline in affordable rental properties. This is particularly acute in our capital cities but is also evident in regional centres.
An emerging group of tenants such as professionals, couples, young families and students who cannot afford to buy or rent an entire property of their own. They are increasingly turning to shared occupancy as a way to afford housing.
My research on share housing across all age groups shows it’s mainly driven by financial constraints. In older age, the experience of this is gendered. Although older men are sharing, women in particular are more vulnerable to significant financial constraints in old age.
Moving into share housing in later life can be an adjustment. Many older people are in share housing for the first time in their life, having previously owned their own home. There are obvious social challenges inherent in this situation. These include learning to negotiate domestic spaces in new ways.
However, some also reflect positively on the social value of share housing. This has been an unexpected benefit for many of them. At an age when isolation and loneliness increase, this is particularly important. Older residents value the social aspects and the new friendships that sometimes develop in share houses. Flow-on effects of this include an increase in their sense of safety and security, knowing that they are not alone should anything untoward happen.
