The ageing society - a challenge for the housing industry

Providing the growing number of older people with affordable and age-appropriate housing is a major challenge for the housing industry. This involves issues such as barrier-free housing and serviced living for senior citizens.

The age structure of the population in Germany has changed considerably over the past seventy years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 1950 one in ten people were aged 65 and over. In 2021, their share has risen to more than a fifth. In the same period, the proportion of under 15-year-olds fell from 23 per cent in 1950 to 14 per cent in 2021. There was little change among people of working age. At 64 per cent, they still make up the largest share of the population in 2021.

A study sponsored by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) shows that too few strategies for providing older people with age-appropriate housing have been developed to date.

A key lever for successfully providing older people with age-appropriate housing is to dovetail the various fields of action: Companies should sensitise tenants to housing for older people, provide a suitable range of housing, market it with older people in mind and specifically take them into account when letting.

By providing contact persons, housing companies improve communication with older people and are thus better able to take their concerns into account. Service providers and cooperation partners can also provide support for many tasks, for example in the area of social services in the neighbourhood.

A good, age-appropriate housing supply not only benefits older people, but can also bring movement to the housing market. This is because older people often free up large flats, which are then available to young families with children or flat-sharing communities.

(Photo: © Gerd Altmann, AI generated, Pixabay)