Poster #123 - Unequal Housing and Community Outcomes by Disability Type: Exploring the Moderating Role of Age-Restricted Communities

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Introduction and Purpose:

Stable housing and a supportive community environment are essential for the well-being of older adults, particularly those facing dual vulnerabilities of disability and poverty. Rising housing costs, shrinking public resources, and regional imbalances limit the housing options of elderly Americans, threatening their ability to age in place. Although age-restricted communities have continued to expand in response to the aging population and are often framed as a way to support aging in place, their relevance to those with disabilities remains underexplored with existing studies often treating this population as homogeneous and overlooking differences in housing and community experiences by disability type. This study examines housing and community disparities among low-income older adults according to disability types (physical, mental, and combined disabilities) and explores the role of age-restricted communities in moderating these associations.

Methods:

This study employs 2023 American Housing Survey (AHS) data, a representative nationwide survey that includes information on housing and community environments in the U.S. The analysis focuses on 6,955 low-income older adults aged 65 or older with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty line. To ensure national-level representation, final weights and composite sample designs are applied. Using hierarchical regression analysis, this study examines the associations between disability type and housing and community experiences, and explores how these relationships are moderated by residence in age-restricted communities.

Results:

Low-income older adults with disabilities have higher housing cost burdens, lower housing satisfaction, poorer perceived neighborhood environment, lower neighborhood satisfaction, and more negative neighborhood environmental conditions compared to older adults without disabilities. In particular, older adults with both mental and physical disabilities are the most disadvantaged across all housing and community measures. 
While older adults living in age-restricted communities experience less housing cost burden, those with physical disabilities appear to face higher burdens in these communities. For those with combined disabilities, housing insecurity is more pronounced within these communities, while community environmental assessments tend to be more positive and physical environmental problems are reported less frequently.

Conclusions and Implications:

Our findings reveal that older adults with disabilities face greater housing burdens and insecurity within age-restricted communities although these communities may offer overall cost benefits for older adults, challenging assumptions about their supportive role. This may reflect factors such as cost structures, bundled services, family structure, or misalignments with prior housing experiences. However, as the group with combined disabilities reports more favorable perceptions of their community environment, disability-specific experiences may vary depending on the specific characteristics of age-restricted communities. Taken together, future research should incorporate detailed analyses of different types and institutional settings of age-restricted communities, with careful attention to how broader structural and contextual features—beyond age restrictions alone—may shape unequal outcomes. Policy efforts should address disability-specific needs and promote equitable access to supportive environments, rather than assuming uniform benefits of age-restricted communities.

Authors

• Seongbo Son, The University of Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Philip M Garboden, The University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Co-Author