Abstract:

The potential exists for creating programs that link subsidised new housing for the elderly with scattered site housing for very low and low income familiies. By identifying units that are vacated by the elderly and taking measures that facilitate their availability to those with very low and low income , local government and housing advocates can serve a broader range of households.The vacated housing stock is often larger and offers a greater choice in neighbourhoods, in schools and in proximity to employment areas than is feasible when families are concentrated in a few public housing projects. The extent to which these benefits can be realised will vary depending on the local housing market and characteristics of the vacated housing. Additional research is needed to define multipliers that take into consideration the overall improvements in housing opportunities that are attributable to a subsidised housing project for the elderly.