‘People felt totally trapped’: what it’s like to be a pensioner renting privately as Australia’s housing costs soar

Trust Me, I'm An Expert

Older private renters are far more likely to experience loneliness than their counterparts in social housing and that loneliness can be acute. Shutterstock

A growing number of older Australians don’t own their homes. And whether they are private renters or live in social housing can make a big difference to their risk of loneliness and anxiety.

That’s the key finding of research led by Alan Morris, a professor at the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance, who interviewed older Australians about how their housing situation may relate to the loneliness they experience.

On today’s episode, Professor Morris shares some of the deeply moving stories he heard.

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Read more: 'I really have thought this can’t go on': loneliness looms for rising numbers of older private renters

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Additional audio

Kindergarten by Unkle Ho, from Elefant Traks.

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