The role of owner-occupation in retirement in eight European countries

In many European countries ageing of the population puts pressure on collective welfare provision for the elderly. It is assumed that households increasingly have to take care of own financial means or rely more on family members in retirement. For the owner-occupiers, their dwelling \u96 more specifically their housing equity \u96 is usually the biggest asset in their asset-portfolio. It has been suggested that households might increasingly use, or plan to use housing equity in old age. In this paper we set out plans, norms and beliefs with respect to the role of housing equity in retirement in eight European countries. This is based on 240 household interviews conducted in the spring and summer 2009, as part of the collaborative project Demographic Change and Housing Wealth (Demhow)