Understanding trajectories into private rental housing in older age: a qualitative life course study

In Australia, social norms and policy assume that home ownership protects low-income older people from housing stress and poverty. Yet increasing numbers of older people rent privately. While there is ample evidence of the risk of poverty and precarious housing for older private renters, an understanding of the social, policy and personal conditions across the life course that contribute to being a private renter in older age is limited. This study uses a life course approach to explore the interaction of critical life events, and social and policy conditions that result in cumulative disadvantage and later life private tenancy. The qualitative analysis of 76 life history interviews with older private tenants identified four trajectories: lifelong constant struggle; loss of housing and assets due to a single critical event; repeated losses from multiple critical events; and life choices that deprioritized home ownership but led to vulnerability in later years. Gender, single parenthood, and experiences of violence notably economic abuse were key vulnerabilities. The findings highlight failures in the retirement income system and housing policy. They also suggest that early interventions at earlier life stages across multiple policy domains are needed to address the long-term housing impacts of accumulated disadvantage.