There are 1.45 million singles and couples receiving the Aged Pension benefits in Australia who own a home consisting of 3 bedrooms or more, conservatively that is half a million homes that are under utilised by people who could be described as empty-nesters. In fact 73% of Aged Pensioners own their own home outright. With the country faced with a massive shortage of houses for young families, these underutilised pensioner homes could be better served as homes for younger Australians looking to establish their own family home, just as the now empty-nesters once did themselves.

I am in favour of offering incentives to older Australians on the Aged Pension to move from their often expensive, high maintenance oversized houses to smaller simply constructed one and two bedroom homes in residential villages and unit blocks. The attached link gives the pros and cons of such an undertaking.

http://retirementessentials.com.au/news/retirement-advice-australia/pros-and-cons-of-downsizing-working-out-the-real-costs