Aging Population Ups Demand for Already Scarce Accessible Homes

A rapidly aging population will require more housing with accessibility features like bathroom grab bars and lower cabinets that are scarce on the current market, Harvard researchers warn in a new report.

Households with residents 65 or older are set to grow to more than 50 million by 2038. Of that 50 million, 17.5 million will belong to residents older than 80, who are more likely to have a hard time navigating and using their home, according to a report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

“There has been a real disinvestment ...