After reading several articles all along a similar theme, such as this one in The i Paper recently, here is my answer to the unfeeling and one sided arguments put forward by the authors of these articles.

I do feel for young people trying to get on the property ladder and for those who are struggling to get into social housing and private rental properties but the problem is not going to be solved by forcing retirees to sell their family homes and move into something smaller. Not to mention that the current value of my property puts it way above what most young first time buyers can afford anyway so the solution is moot. Is the next move to bully growing families into upsizing to free up cheaper family properties for young first time buyers or rental agents? Perhaps; before trying to drive people out of their only home just because they are now dependent free and have one bedroom too many; they should start by looking at the thousands of buy to rent holiday properties and largely unused second homes owned by the wealthy. I mean, how many “look how rich we ares” rattling around their small mansions on their occasional weekend getaways actually need 50 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms? How many people could that property provide housing for? And what about all the empty warehouses, unused office blocks and municipal buildings being left to decay in our cities? Instead of selling them to property developers to turn into even more unaffordable luxury apartments why don’t local councils turn them into social housing or affordable retirement complexes. If a developer can do it then so can councils.

With so many other options available why should I, as a retired person, be targeted as selfish and made to pay for the fact that I have worked hard all my life and managed to buy my own house? Apart from the fact that it has been our family home for 30 years there are other considerations to take into account. Unfortunately, like many retired people who own their own homes I simply cannot afford to downsize. Even if I did have the income  to do so; which as a pensioner I don’t; it took me 25 years to be mortgage free and having paid off my mortgage I have no desire to take on another one at this time in my life. Income aside, downsizing is not a viable option even if I wanted to. Although the value of my property has almost tripled since purchase, selling would still not raise anywhere near enough capital to buy anything of equal quality since property values have skyrocketed across the board. So to downsize would also mean looking at poorer quality properties in less salubrious areas thus leading to a decline in living standards and isolation from family and friends. So unless someone is going to make up the difference in the capital I would need to buy a property of equal standards and comfort in a similar area to the one in which I currently live then there is no way I am prepared to even think of downsizing. 

For those in social housing downsizing presents a different set of problems. Whilst the push is to increase housing for families; many of whom have been on various waiting lists for years and who have to bid in a free for all lotto for properties; there seems to be no similar push for the provision of properties suitable for pensioners who do wish to downsize, thereby freeing up the family sized properties so desperately needed. Around the area where I live there are a few little enclaves of bungalows for pensioners but as these properties are also used to house people with disabilities for whom a house is unsuitable, housing for pensioners is also at a premium. Until these issues are addressed the provision of social housing will be stuck in this status quo for the foreseeable future.