Aged people increased during these last years, not only in Italy but in every industrialized country. Because of their importance in number (8 and half million in 1991 in Italy, nearly 15% of the total population) and forecasting of further increasing in the future (11 million in 2008, almost 20% of the population), many studies have been carried out in the last 10 years, in order to know their health status, their needs, their behaviour with regards to many social aspects. After an introduction on the demographic, family, income and health assistance characteristics of aged in Italy, we will focus on housing situation (78% of elderly own their own homes), starting from the Government measures until research results and technological tools supporting domestic life. If we refer to aged people as a part of the frail category, we can assume that the two laws on barrier free buildings, the first in 1971 and the second in 1989, can solve many of the mobility problems inside the buildings. The laws refer respectively to public buildings the first and both to public and private residences the second. Every building, new or existing one, if renewed, must adequate to the requirements provided by in the laws. The cases may be of course very different. In fact, while in realizing new buildings it is not so difficult to take into account the laws' technical requirements, in the rehabilitation of old dwellings and, further, in old buildings, the respect of the law is not so easy. The situation becomes worst if we think of the huge building stock in the historic centres. For many historic buildings protected by the control of the Soprintendenze, it is very difficult (or, rather, quite impossible) to obtain the permission of changes allowing disabled people to live inside. It is not possible, as an example, to provide the building with a lift or a ramp. Agora research is devoted to this particular field of the adequacy of existing dwellings to the needs of the elderly. Some guidelines will be shown, distinguishing among self sufficient and disabled aged people.

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