Aging in the right place for low-income older renters

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), aging-in-place (AIP) is defined as the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably; this implies AIP can also be pursued by aging renters. From this, the researchers examined low-income older renters’ residential environment (neighborhood and city environment), affecting their aging in place. Face to face interviews (30 minutes to 1 hour) with open-ended questions were conducted with 25 low-income aging renters (62 years and over) in a North Carolina central city. The participants (average age = 72 years old) consisted of 8 males and 17 females. The majority of participants were African American (92%) with an annual income less than $25,000. In terms of neighborhood, participants liked their convenient location (18), i.e., easy access to shopping, church, or parks; being in a quiet and peaceful environment (11); and walkability (10). However, they disliked their neighborhood due to insufficient safety controls (11) and being noisy (4). In terms of their city environment, the preferable features included various opportunities (11) including education, entertainment, and social interaction. The participants disliked limited access to senior services (e.g., transportation or healthcare) (5). This research is meaningful to understanding low-income aging renters' views of their residential environment when aging in place, leading to future policy implications and/or programs for the aging cohort.