Associations of Housing Disrepair With Functional Disability Among Older Adult Households in the United States

Sep 29, 2026

Housing disrepair—such as leaking roofs or walls and broken plumbing or heating—is increasingly common among older adults, yet its relationship to functional disability remains unclear and may differ by household income. Using cross-sectional data from 17,610 U.S. households with adults aged 65+ from the 2023 American Housing Survey, housing disrepair was assessed across 40 problems in 8 categories. Functional disability was more prevalent with disrepair (36.3% vs 24.8%). Adjusted models showed higher odds of functional disability in households with disrepair (OR 1.81; 95% CI 1.65–1.98), with similar associations in low-income (OR 1.87) and moderate/high-income (OR 1.77) groups. Causal effects require further study to guide interventions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study design and data source

Measures: housing disrepair and functional disability

Prevalence and subgroup findings

Adjusted association results

Research implications

520 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.1777 ASSOCIATIONS OF HOUSING DISREPAIR WITH FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AMONG OLDER ADULT HOUSEHOLDS IN THE UNITED STATES Safiyyah Okoye1, Karlin Moore1, Amruta Patil1, Daniel Vader1, Craig Pollack2, and Laura Gitlin1, 1. Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 2. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Housing disrepair (leaking roofs/walls, broken plumbing/heating) is increasingly common among older adults who often struggle to repair and maintain their homes. Unknown is whether housing disrepair is associated with rates of functional disability and if this association varies for higher and lower income households. Drawing on cross-sectional data (N=17,610 households with older adults ≥65 years) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey national survey (2023), we characterized housing disrepair and its associations with functional disability. Housing disrepair was measured as occupant report of at least one of 40 problems across 8 categories (electricity, heating, inside structural, bathroom, kitchen, outside structural, water, sewer). Overall, 36.2% of older adult households reported disrepair; 38.5% among low-income and 34.9% among moderate/high-income households. Functional disability (measured as older adult occupant with difficulty bathing or dressing, doing errands, concentrating or remembering, or climbing or walking stairs) was more prevalent among households with disrepair than without (36.3% vs 24.8%). In a fully adjusted logistic regression model, the odds of an older adult occupant having a functional disability was 1.81 (95% CI 1.65, 1.98) times as high in households with vs without disrepair. In additional adjusted models stratified by income, the odds ratios for the association between disrepair and functional disability were similar in low-income (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.65, 2.12) and moderate/high-income households (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.55, 2.02). Further research is needed to establish a causal relationship between housing disrepair, income, and disability and identify causes and interventions to decrease disrepair among older adult households.

FAQs

How was housing disrepair measured in the study?

Housing disrepair was measured using occupants’ reports of at least one of 40 problems across eight categories, including electricity, heating, inside structural issues, bathroom and kitchen problems, and outside or water/sewer issues.

What did the study find about functional disability among households with disrepair?

Functional disability was more prevalent among households with disrepair than among those without (36.3% vs 24.8%).

Were the associations different across income groups?

Odds ratios were similar across stratified income groups: low-income households (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.65–2.12) and moderate/high-income households (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.55–2.02).

Why is further research still needed?

Further research is needed to establish a causal relationship between housing disrepair, income, and disability and to identify causes and interventions to reduce disrepair among older adult households.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by วิน