Without more middle housing options, the United States will be short on ‘aging-ready’ homes.
With more Americans living longer than ever, the lack of infrastructure for ‘aging in place’ is becoming more glaring, writes Robbie Sequeira in Stateline. Single-family, car-dependent neighborhoods make it difficult for aging residents to stay in their homes and remain independent. “By prioritizing the construction of low-density development, such rules can disconnect older adults from their community and from crucial services such as transportation, according to the Urban Institute, a nonprofit think tank focused on social and economic policy.”
According to Sequeira, “Recent census data suggests that the U.S. is short of aging-ready homes, with just 40% of the country’s housing considered accessible enough to meet the basic needs of older adults.” The AARP and other advocacy groups are calling on policymakers to boost the development of middle housing options and accessory dwelling units that are more accessible for older people on fixed incomes.
Affordability is also an issue for older Americans. “Among American adults age 65 and older, the poverty rate jumped from 10.7% in 2021 to 14.1% in 2022, according to a National Council on Aging analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.”
FULL STORY: Older adults want to ‘age in place,’ but their options are limited in most states
Seattle Adopts a New Growth Plan, but Major Zoning Battles are Just Beginning
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Report Highlights Housing Insecurity Among Seniors
Older Americans face rising mortgage debt, high costs for medical care and assistance, and a dearth of accessible housing.
Seniors Account for 32% of Traffic Deaths in the Bay Area
Road safety interventions would help protect seniors and other vulnerable groups from traffic violence.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association