Elderly Housing Needs: An Examination of the American Housing Survey

The graying of the population will have a profound impact on the nation's ability to provide safe, quality, affordable housing to its elderly citizens. Meeting the housing challenge in the twenty-first century requires determining the nature and condition of the housing stock as well as the needs and concerns of the elderly. For example, one economic challenge is based on tenure. There is a tremendous disparity in housing costs between renters and homeowners. Almost 70 percent of renters pay 25 percent or more of their income for shelter while only 30 percent of homeowners are in the same category. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's American Housing Survey is a valuable tool which can help gerontologists and planners address a broad range of housing and related issues.