Housing Market Mobility in Old Age: Attitudes, Drivers and Barriers
The project adresses how elderly people adapt their housing consumption in light of the physical and mental changes associated with ageing.
This project on housing for the elderly in Norway, was commissioned and financed by the Norwegian state’s Housing Bank. It covers one of the key questions about housing in the ageing society: how do elderly people adapt their housing consumption in light of the physical and mental changes associated with ageing? More specifically, we discuss to what extent the elderly adapt their housing consumption by making age-related adjustments to their current home and/or move to a housing unit better suited to their needs.
Empirically, the report is mainly based on a survey documenting the housing choices and housing preferences of 60 to 75 year olds. We also draw on quantitative data from Statistics Norway, qualitative interviews with professionals representing the local and central branches of government, and focus group interviews with seniors in three municipalities.
Research questions
In the project, the following topics and research questions are analyzed in detail:
- What are the housing choices faced by the elderly in different local housing markets? How do the housing opportunities of the elderly vary according to geographical and economic factors?
- How do the elderly typically adapt their housing situation to changing needs? To what extent has their housing market behavior changed over time? (Do the elderly move more frequently than they used to?)
- What are the drivers and barriers for the older generations’ housing market mobility? To what extent do these drivers and barriers vary between different geographical contexts?
- In light of empirical study and economic theory, we also formulate several concrete policy recommendations
This project is one of many research projects touching on housing and the ageing society, led by NOVA and conducted during the last decade.
