Abstract:

A special journal issue of Ageing International offering papers on the status of housing policies for elderly populations worldwide: in Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, & Taiwan. This subject is particularly important given two global trends: an increase in life expectancy worldwide & growing urbanization. In this context, housing becomes a primary marker of quality of life for the elderly. Generally, the ability of the elderly to procure adequate housing is associated with their household status. Early home ownership is often correlated with adequate housing in old age, as resources accumulated over decades are employed as a safety net. However, the ability of young people to build economic resources in this manner is shaped by the social, economic, & political contexts in which they live. In countries such as Singapore, the Netherlands, or Israel, the majority of elderly citizens have adequate accommodations because of their economic resources. Certain groups in these communities, especially the disabled & the frail, have greater difficulty, but state policies are working to reduce their need. In other countries, such as Korea & India, the elderly enjoy a high social status that leads younger people to take care of them. It is shown that government actions in this area are largely conditioned by the political context in each country. In Asian countries, reliance is placed more on family structures to bear the burden of caring for the elderly. In contrast, governments in Australia & the Netherlands have taken a more proactive role in securing adequate living conditions for the aged. It is hoped that an exchange of information will ensue from this collection of essays such that the lives of the urban elderly can be enriched throughout the world.