How The Australian Dream Is Growing Old Fast

With a significant and growing proportion of Australians aged over 65, the so-called “Australian Dream” is facing stark realities. Some of our pensioners go without food, some go without medications, and some are suicidal as a result of their dire financial situation, due mainly to the high cost of their accommodation and insecurity of tenure.

The whole concept of having a roof over our heads is changing rapidly, and an important new publication from CSIRO Publishing talks directly to the topic of older Australians battling to survive in the private rental sector and coping in social housing and home ownership. In The Australian Dream: Housing Experiences of Older Australians, Professor Alan Morris goes directly to the coal-face, drawing on 125 in-depth interviews and comparing real world experience with the trends and needs of an ageing Australia.

“Those older Australians renting privately are often struggling to purchase necessities and running out of money for food before the next pension payout,” notes Professor Morris. “And the mental health of older private renters is certainly impacted by their situation.

“What is also shown quite clearly is the enormous shortage of social housing, and the challenges that this is presenting for our ageing population.”

• This pioneering and meticulous study illustrates how retirement has turned into a battle of survival for a growing sector of the community, with flawed policies and a lack of planning having a direct impact on individuals.

• The voices of real Australians ring loud and clear in this thoughtful analysis, providing an

inescapable reality check as it examines the world more and more of us are growing into.

• The book shows significant a divide between older private renters, those in social housing, and those pensioners still living in their own home. It compares life circumstances, the capacity to pay for accommodation, and how this impacts on the ability to lead a decent life.

The Australian Dream powerfully underlines the fundamental role that affordable, adequate and secure housing plays in creating a foundation for a decent, fulfilling life in retirement. For many, retirement has become a lonely struggle to survive. Alan Morris is a research professor in the Institute for Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney. His main areas of research have been in housing policy, housing tenure and older households and social policy.