- Boomers hold about half of U.S. wealth, with a significant portion in real estate, but this wealth is concentrated among older boomers.
- 80% of older boomers are homeowners, having benefited from decades of property value appreciation and the ability to refinance at lower interest rates.
- Older homeowners’ tendency to “age in place” is contributing to the housing shortage and rising home prices, impacting younger generations’ ability to purchase homes.
- California homeowners stay in their homes the longest, partly due to tax incentives that discourage moving.
- About 20% of boomers are selling their homes, but they are not downsizing, thus not alleviating the housing shortage.
- Younger boomers are increasingly facing homelessness, with a 2023 study finding over 40% of homeless older adults in California became homeless after age 50.
- Factors contributing to elderly homelessness include high housing costs, insufficient social security payments, and a lack of affordable housing options.
- Low cost assisted living centers are closing due to staffing shortages and financial issues, exacerbating the problem.
- The “cohort effect” explains the differing economic prospects within the boomer generation, with older boomers having entered the housing market under more favorable conditions than their younger counterparts.
- Researchers are skeptical about the anticipated “silver tsunami” of housing inventory from aging boomers, predicting it will not significantly alleviate the housing shortage.
- The video concludes with a call to improve the federal safety net for the elderly, mentioning a $3 billion proposal by the Biden administration to address elderly homelessness.
The Wall Street Journal is an American business and economic-focused international daily newspaper based in New York City. The Journal is published six days a week by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp.
AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center
https://www.allsides.com/news-source/wall-street-journal-media-bias
Official website: https://www.wsj.com
Original video here.
This summary has been generated by AI.
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