Mid-life Australians and the housing aspirations gap

Mid-life Australians aged 35-54 years are a relatively invisible cohort in housing and social policy terms. A focus on young adults as well as those in later-life in popular discourse, as well as in policy development, has neglected this important cohort. Housing mid-life Australians well, in ways that enable them to meet their life priorties, will result in increased stability and wellbeing for mid-life Australians themselves, as well as for the younger and older dependents many care for during these years. Additionally, it will support mid-life households to remain engaged productively through their prime working age years. Housing that enables mid-life cohorts to plan for and activate secure pathways to later-life housing are also essential if growing problems of housing insecurity among older Australians are to be addressed. A growing proportion of mid-life households cannot attain the long-term security of housing they require to live well at mid-life or plan for housing futures that will enable them to age with relative independence and support adult children or ageing parents, as relevant. Original findings of this research indicate that while home ownership remains the strongly preferred route to attaining this aspiration, households at mid-life may benefit from options including: secure, affordable alternatives to the traditional route of home ownership, such as affordable secure rental, rent-to-buy schemes and cooperative schemes. A suite of existing and new policy options are warranted to support these households. Policy development options include consideration of how a suite of direct and indirect housing assistance provisions can support home ownership as well as ownership alternatives. Flexible and agile housing tenure and dwelling designs are required to meet the aspirations of Australians at mid-life.