Is homeownership a precursor to retirement?

If you read the finance pages, there are two key themes that always emerge: property and pensions. But are the two mutually exclusive or inextricably linked?

For those who don't own homes and have no realistic prospect of doing so, the two are very much linked. Over half, 51%, of people aged 20 to 45 surveyed by Halifax for their Generation Rent report, were worried that renting for the rest of their lives and never owning a home would have a negative impact on their retirement.