SEATTLE: A safety body is urging the government to address poor-quality housing after it found that most people aged over 75 currently live in properties that fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The report reveals that current housing stock puts vulnerable individuals at risk and is unfit for people to age safely in their own homes – with those in low-income households or rural areas most affected.
A lack of new builds combined with an aging population was compounding the problem.
Almost two-thirds of households of couples aged over 60 failed to meet basic electrical safety standards. The report said individuals in these premises are living without devices such as modern fuseboxes, residual current devices, circuit breakers and PVC wiring.
It found that older people were disproportionately at risk because they were living in their properties for longer, which often resulted in greater gaps between comprehensive checks. Electrical installations and appliances also tended to be older…