Home upkeep and housing quality of older homeowners.

Among older homeowners, successive cohorts exhibit lower levels of home upkeep. This research explores several possible sources of these age-related differences in home upkeep as well as the potential effects on the quality of the elderly population's housing. Analysis of data from the Survey of Housing Adjustments suggests that only income has sizable effects on the quantity of home upkeep conducted, and that lower upkeep appears to reflect cutbacks in discretionary, as opposed to vital repairs.