The media tends to look at the housing crisis from a middle class young-middle aged point of view. This is an ageist perspective because it leaves out everyone else not in this age bracket. Those left out include older people, young people in shared houses, and people with disability. These groups are always absent from the discussions and therefore remain invisible.
Melissa Marsden writes, “…this leads me to conclude that housing will continue to be placed within a discourse of ageism rather than a discourse of privilege. Where age or impairment are treated as unrelated issues, the crisis is only becoming more divisive.”
Marsden’s short article provides a perspective consistently missing from all housing debates in the media and in policy development.
Marsden uses the ABC TV’s Insiders discussion program to highlight some of the issues missing from the discussion. The age debate focuses on younger people being locked out of the housing market. These younger people are assumed to have good jobs and reasonable incomes. That’s not all younger people and especially not younger people with disability.
While not the largest group by number, women aged 55 plus are the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness. Not all older people are superannuated retirees owning their own home. And some older people are caring for adult children with disability. Where is this group in the debate?
Almost all people with disability live in private homes – not specialised homes – not any more. But the media (and governments) still have outdated ideas about the aspirations of people with disability. Of course they would love to own their own home and be independent.
There is more about housing, housing design, and the Livable Housing Standard in the Housing Design section of this website.