Housing tenure trajectories and health in later life across Europe

Background: Previous research has shown that standard patterns of work and family trajectories over the life course are associated with better health in later life. In this study, we investigate whether this extends to housing tenure trajectories. Methods: Using 2017 SHARELIFE retrospective data, we explore how housing tenure trajectories (ages 16–65) are associated with multiple health outcomes among 65–75 years-old adults residing in eleven European countries. We use sequence and cluster analysis to identify main types of housing tenure trajectories and logistic regression models to explore their association with outcomes of self-rated health, chronic morbidity, and activity limitations (GALI). Results: We identified six clusters of housing tenure trajectories: ‘early-homeowners’ (62.6 %), ‘late-homeowners’ (7.1 %), ‘never-leavers’ (11.6 %), ‘private tenants’ (9.3 %), ‘social tenants’ (6.4 %), and ‘rent-free and others’ (3.1 %). Non-standard housing tenure trajectories patterns – particularly those of ‘social tenants’, ‘private tenants’, and ‘never-leavers’ – were associated with poorer later-life health compared to the standard pattern of ‘early-homeowners’, consistently across outcomes and more evidently among women. We found weaker evidence for variation of the association across country groups, with some exceptions. Conclusion: Housing tenure trajectories across the life course are associated with later-life health outcomes. In particular, non-standard housing tenure trajectories are associated with a health disadvantage in later life compared to the standard pattern of early-homeowners, characterised by an early transition and a long-term stay in homeownership.