Overwhelmingly, older adults want to age in their homes.

Researcher Janet Viveiros reviewed Center for Housing Policy data showing that aging in place can be very cost-effective and result in better health outcomes.

But older renters may also need multifamily buildings with services.

Most 65+ households are low-and moderate-income.

Arlington Demographer Elizabeth Rodgers looked at local senior trends. Even in affluent Arlington, senior household median income is just over $60,000. By 2020, 19 percent of the County's population could be persons 60+ years old.

New service delivery models have emerged to help provide senior services.

Candace Baldwin described the national Villages model, which combines
paid staff and volunteers to provide services to seniors aging in place.

(Learn more about Arlington's neighborhood village initiative.)

Terri Lynch described Arlington's array of subsidies and services to seniors

as well as the recently created Vertical Village providing education and services to low- and moderate-income seniors in multi-unit buildings.

Traditional senior-only housing may not be a viable model for areas like Arlington with limited and high-cost land.

Steve Rubin of Harkins Builders talked about the challenges

of making senior housing affordable, even where land is more available.

Will Boomers compete with Millenials for walkable community options?  

Architect Michael Foster designed more compact and affordable apartments for grad students and found them quickly snapped up by seniors. (See also Boomer impact on downtown revitalization.) 

Arlington County Architect Justin Falango sketched out

the economic and social advantages of creatively down-sized housing models,

including accessory dwelling units, in single-family home neighborhoods.

Zoning and other code changes are needed to encourage and create more senior-friendly communities.

Hunter Moore focused on key changes, including a zoning revision (flexibility of units and sizes within an "envelope") that would create more housing for seniors---and other low- and moderate-income households.  

Nonprofit developer Walter Webdale described overcoming impediments to create additional successful senior facilities like Hunter's Park.

Mary Rouleau of AHS closed the Forum by looking forward to

Affordable Housing Study recommendations necessary to make more

senior affordable housing happen.

(We'll focus on Affordable Housing Study recommendations in a future edition

of Housing Intelligence.) 

AHS thanks its generous supporters---

AHS is grateful to its event co-sponsor, the Arlington Commission on Aging, and to the organizations that sponsored our September 2014 event and helped make this module possible.