Middle Adults’ Housing Expectations for Old-age: A Study of Urban Area of Greater Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

As Malaysia is becoming an ageing nation, it is important to examine the housing needs of the retiring age group in order to provide adequate retirement housing. The study examines the middle adults’ housing expectation which will affect their housing preferences and decisions upon retirement. A face-to-face survey was conducted on 464 respondents aged 40 and above living in the urban concentrated areas of Greater Kuala Lumpur. Most of the respondents indicated that they have a strong willingness to continue to stay in their current homes and their opinions on the satisfaction level of comfort were evaluated in this survey. Though certain groups have their own preferences for their future housing plan, the findings revealed that most of the middle age adults have strong desire to age in place, surrounded by family members, friends as well as suitable facilities. This suggests that to a certain degree, the current housing will not be their desired retirement home. It is recommended that the housing policy should integrate the expectation and needs of the ageing population of the nation.