Considers the role of using housing wealth in financing retirement. Examines the results of a recent survey into homeowners' willingness to use their homes as sources of income. It is estimated that people aged 65 and over, a section of Britain's population forecast to increase markedly, may now hold as much as £460bn of unmortgaged housing equity in their homes. The survey covered expectation of falling living standards in retirement, the likelihood of working beyond retirement age, pensions as main income, attitudes to using housing equity, equity release schemes and attitudes to property inheritance. Concludes that there is a willingness among some households to use housing wealth to help fund retirement and that trend is likely to increase but property cannot meet all the objectives of home, income, inheritance and care costs. Government and the market must work together to develop safe and regulated equity release schemes. Charts and tables cover the survey results. References.