Age-friendly housing needed to keep up with NT’s ageing population

The Retirement Living Council has stressed the importance of age-friendly housing after NT’s median age hits a new peak not seen since 2004.

The Retirement Living Council executive has stressed the importance of age-friendly housing after the NT recorded it’s highest median age since 2004.

Fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the NT experienced the second biggest jump (5.78 per cent) in median age nationally over the past decade with the average age of Territorians increasing from 31.85 to 33.69.

RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon said the government needed to prioritise age-friendly housing to accommodate the NT’s ageing population.

“While 34-year-olds aren’t ready for retirement living, these changes over time will have an impact on older age cohorts who are looking for appropriate age-friendly housing,” he said.

“There are currently 7000 Territorians aged over 75 – a demographic cohort that is forecast to double by 2040.

“We know that housing supply pressures are immense and so is the pressure on an already struggling residential aged care sector.”

“If the NT’s population continues to age, we need to start preparing for these changes now – and age-friendly housing needs to be a priority.”

Retirement Living Council Executive Director Daniel Gannon said age-friendly housing was needed to accommodate the NT’s ageing population and create better health outcomes for Territorians. Picture: iStock

Mr Gannon said the RLC’s Better Housing for Better Health report could guide the newly formed Northern Territory Housing Alliance by outlining the health benefits of age-friendly housing.

“This report has found that retirement villages across the country save the commonwealth government a billion dollars every year by delaying entry into aged care facilities through better designed homes that lead to fewer trips, falls and interactions with healthcare systems,” he said.

“And when Territorians ‘right-size’, their homes re-enter the market, benefiting singles, couples and growing families, helping to close the supply gap.

“Beyond just the housing benefits, residents of retirement communities are 41 per cent happier, 15 per cent more physically active, and experience reduced levels of loneliness and depression.”

The latest national population figures from the ABS recorded a national average age increase of 2.84 per cent with Western Australia recording the highest growth of 6.01 per cent.

The figures also revealed that the fastest growing age cohort around Australia is between 75 and 79 years old, with an annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent compared to an overall growth rate across all other age groups of 2.4 per cent.