The 2000 survey dealt with housing separately from other asset measures, given the role of home ownership in influencing the living standards of older people. The sample comprised people aged 65 and over living in permanent private dwellings, and these included self-contained units in retirement villages. Across the total sample group, the majority of homeowners were freehold (93%), and their accommodation costs were low. Costs for those living in rented accommodation were on average over four times higher for those who lived on their own and five times higher for those in partnered dwellings