The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has pinpointed villages as an area for further research as part of its 2021 National Research Program – and could further validate villages as a viable option for ‘ageing in place’.

AHURI is a national independent research network exclusively dedicated to housing, homelessness, cities and related urban research.

The University of Tasmania will lead the investigation into ‘Retirement villages: business models, consumer experiences and regulation’, along with UNSW researchers Dr Chris Martin (lead) and Dr Edgar Liu (adjunct) and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Dr Liu tells us that their research will focus on the barriers to expanding retirement villages as an ‘ageing in place’ option, including affordability and concerns about the fairness and clarity of contracts.

The project will also consider how business models – leveraging Government subsidies and supported by regulation – could meet consumer demand and provide affordable housing options for older Australians.