The House Is Still Standing. But Is It Still Safe?

In recognition of National Homeownership Month 2025

“Homeownership is the anchor that holds families together across generations.” — HUD Secretary Scott Turner

But that anchor? It’s starting to rust. Homeownership was once a dream. Now, for many older adults, it’s a fight for safety, stability and dignity.

As an aging specialist and the adult child of aging homeowners, I’m rarely brought in at the beginning. I typically show up in the middle of a crisis. After a fall. After a hospital discharge. After the family is scrambling and unsure what to do next.

We have to normalize conversations about what it really takes to age at home, before the panic sets in.

The numbers are hard to ignore, but the public is...

• By 2030, adults aged 65+ will outnumber children under 18 in the U.S.

• Between 2020 and 2023, 76% of remodelers reported more aging-in-place requests

• ADU Permits have nearly quadrupled and continue to skyrocket

• Millions of older adults are struggling to stay in homes they’ve owned for decades

We celebrate buying a home like it’s a finish line. But for many older Americans, that’s when the real race begins and one filled with rising property taxes, spiking insurance premiums and repairs that have been put off for years and now pose real safety risks. Add in the constant threat of scams, the creeping isolation and fixed incomes that no longer stretch like they used to... It's no wonder why so many older adults are stuck, scared and just doing the best they can with what they’ve got.

We also don’t talk enough about what comes 30, 40, even 50 years after the purchase. When the stairs become a hazard. When the neighbors who once looked out for you move away or pass away. When the services that made life manageable disappear. And when “aging in place” quietly turns into “aging in crisis,” without anyone noticing until it’s too late.

This isn’t just about aging in place. It’s about navigating what comes next with almost no guidance or infrastructure to support it.

We need to start building around Livability and long term with things like

• Safe, affordable, accessible housing

• Easy, reliable access to transportation

• Social connections in walkable, safe neighborhoods

• Access to essential services like healthcare, food and home care

• Public policy that supports affordability, accessibility and aging safely in our communities

National Homeownership Month tells only part of the story. Let’s highlight the real homeowners who are at the heart of our nation.