Larimer County Summit on Aging
Shaping the Future of Larimer County
Abstract: Boomers & Beyond: Housing Trends in the 21st Century
Panel Presentation: Housing
Janice Blanchard, MSPH
Denver, Colorado
Most Americans prefer to “age in place” – to stay at home, with supportive services if necessary, as an alternative to institutional long-term care. While many consider aging in place suitable, others find it a hollow victory, particularly when it occurs in a home that poses physical, financial or emotional challenges and makes connection with family, friends, neighbors and the community difficult. As many Baby Boomers watch their parents struggle to remain in their home, or worse, move to a nursing home, many are beginning to wonder, isn’t there a better way?
Boomers have a notable track record of creating social and cultural change throughout each of the life-stages. Even in housing, each life-stage Boomers have moved through has created huge new demands in real estate. As children, they were the impetus for the growth of the suburbs; as college students and young adults, they created a demand for apartments, townhouses and a burgeoning rental market; in their 30s and beyond, they have driven the demand for luxury condominiums, second homes, the re-development of urban areas and the growth of exburbia.
As Boomers transition into later life, many are rejecting their parents’ concepts of aging and retirement living and are seeking new pathways to growing old that reflect their values. Part of this cultural-revolution in aging is the emergence of new models of housing and communities designed to address a constellation of desires -- a sense of place, sustainable design, shared values and goals, diversity, and respect for elderhood.
While the underpinning reasons for creating these new types of housing vary, many face the same struggles to change the status quo. State and local building codes and zoning laws; financing and funding; and, liability and legal issues represent a few of the challenges faced by individuals and developers as they create new models of housing.
This session will briefly review traditional housing choices available to older adults and the challenges they pose to a rapidly aging population. The majority of time will be spent exploring new housing trends evolving to accommodate the social, demographic and economic realities of our times.
