According to the report, high housing costs are the reason that a third of adults 50 and older pay more than 30 percent of their income for homes that don't necessarily meet their needs. That means they have to make sacrifices on food, health care and, for those between the ages of 50 and 64, saving for retirement. As a result, the older they get, the less they'll have available for those needs in the future. And among those 80 and older, the number is even higher — 37 percent are forking over so much that they're forced to cut back on essentials. 

Then there's the little matter of accommodations for accessibility: extra-wide doorways, freedom from steps, and more elder-friendly lever handles instead of knobs for doors and faucets. Lack of public transportation and poor pedestrian access to such things as grocery stores mean seniors can be stuck in their homes, and if housing programs don't coordinate with health care systems, many older people could end up in an institution before it's really necessary because their disability or long-term care needs are not being met any other way. 

Younger boomers, those in their 50s, are particularly at risk, according to the data. They have less income and wealth; lower home ownership rates; and carry more debt than their elders. As a result, they have fewer resources available to pay for suitable housing or long-term care when they retire. 

The report found that although most of those over 45 would prefer to stay in their own homes as long as they can, the numbers suggest that 70 percent of people who age to 65 will instead need some kind of long-term care. Among these, homeowners are in better shape than those who rent, since the typical 65-or-older homeowner has enough wealth to manage to pay for in-home help for almost nine years, or for assisted living for 6.5 years. The typical renter in this age group, however, will only be able to manage two months of either of these.