Housing adaptation policy for older adults: the role of real estate and municipal actors in Sweden

Abstract Housing adaptation is one of many ways for older adults to retain independence in their everyday lives, enabling them to age in place for longer. In Sweden, housing adaptation is subsidised by municipalities, but the application involves communicating with multiple actors in a process that can vary depending on factors such as individual housing condition. This qualitative study focuses on the role and influence of housing companies and municipal actors involved in the approval process of housing adaptation grants, highlighting potential risks that may go unnoticed or warrant more attention. This paper investigates how housing adaptation applications are processed by different actors, aiming to shed light on the under-explored structures and practices related to housing adaptation grants in Sweden. The findings highlight several issues, including shortcomings within the policies that subsidise housing adaptation, the introduction of counterintuitive barriers, reliance on informal practices, and the potential risk of transferring social responsibility to housing companies. It is argued that the current housing adaptation grant risks reproducing inequalities among applicants. Therefore, more comprehensive and thorough support structures are needed for older adults wishing to age in place.