In Focus, May 2011- Housing for Older Adults

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HousingPolicy.org In Focus

May 2011 - Housing for Older Adults

In the Toolbox This issue of In Focus This issue of In Focus highlights the housing needs of older adults. By 2030, it is projected that 1 in 5 adults will be over the age of 65, the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. The implications of this rapid demographic shift merit special attention from local and state governments, especially when it comes to affordable housing issues. Many older adults live in homes that lack accessibility features, are unaffordable, energy inefficient, or are located far from destinations and amenities essential to meeting their daily needs. Others need various kinds of assistance to maintain their independence and autonomy but cannot afford the supportive services that would allow them to age successfully in a residential environment. HousingPolicy.org's toolkit on meeting the housing needs of older adults provides a detailed exploration of these and other challenges facing older adults and describes a range of promising policies that some communities are adopting to address them. The toolkit is divided into three sections: providing accessible, safe, and affordable homes; improving access to social services and transportation options; and supporting housing models geared to older adults. Explore the Toolkit		"Out Loud" Podcast This month's Out Loud For the first time, this month's Out Loud features a vodcast (video podcast) with Rodney Harrell, PhD, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor - Housing and Livable Communities at the AARP Public Policy Institute. Dr. Harrell describes examples of affordable senior housing near transit in Minneapolis, MN and Cleveland, Ohio from the report, Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities. Through interviews with residents in the housing complexes studied, along with a scan of the surrounding area, Dr. Harrell sheds light on the qualities that make transit-oriented development work for older adults. This vodcast is one in a series of three on transit-oriented development produced by AARP. Watch the Vodcast Solutions in Action Cohousing, a form of residential development designed to emphasize community interaction through private residences with shared common facilities, can provide older adults the freedom to live independently among friends who believe in active "neighboring" and who look out for one another. Senior cohousing communities often include accessible structures designed for persons with physical disabilities and may include optional studio residences in a common house to provide living quarters for home health aides whose services may be shared by several residents. Senior cohousing may forestall or prevent a move to an assisted living residence by allowing residents to age in place even as their needs change. One senior cohousing development, the ElderSpirit Community at Trailview in Abingdon, VA, has a total of 29 units. Thirteen are owner-occupied, and 16 are subsidized rental homes available to low- and moderate-income households. ElderSpirit demonstrates that where there is an identified community need and available government support, cohousing can be a viable alternative for low-income older adults. Learn More about this Solution in Action New Award to Honor Creative Workforce Housing Solutions The Urban Land Institute has announced a new workforce housing awards competition-- The Robert C. Larson Awards-- to recognize exemplary state and local programs, policies and practices that support the production, rehabilitation or preservation of workforce housing. The Robert C. Larson Award will also recognize new or emerging state and local programs and policies that have the potential to significantly expand workforce housing opportunities in the future. State and local governments are eligible to apply. The deadline to submit is June 15, 2011. Learn More About the Awards

Share Your Story Older adults that live on a fixed income may struggle to maintain their monthly mortgage payments or rent. Do you know of any loan or grant programs to help low-income seniors pay for property taxes and insurance so that they can remain in their home? Join our Older Adults discussion group on the HousingPolicy.org Forum to respond to this question or add your own. Share your experiences with fellow housing practitioners across the country! Visit the Forum to Share Your Story Join HousingPolicy.org Did a colleague forward this newsletter to you? Keep In Focuscoming to your inbox by joining HousingPolicy.org today! Signing up will also keep you in loop about other National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy news and events. Sign Up Online
		Featured Gallery Entry: Chestnut Garden Apartments, Lynn, MA Courtesy of MB Properties