Creativity, Quality, Affordability of Senior Housing to be Studied at New Research Center by Dena Amoruso Prompted in part by the Census Bureau statistic that people aged 60 and over will double by the year 2025, the National Association of Home Builders recently announced the opening of the National Center for Seniors' Housing Research. The Center is being funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging under the Title IV Discretionary Grant program and private sector funds, according to NAHB sources, and will be housed in the NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Liza Bowles, president of the NAHB Research Center, acknowledged that the dream for older Americans to live comfortably, safely and independently in their own homes as they age is held by 82% of the population aged 50 and older. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) was credited with securing congressional funding for the initiative, and noted that with Baby Boomers on the cusp of retirement, this couldn't happen at a better time. Buoyed by the statistic that 80 million Americans will occupy the 60+ group within the next 25 years, the Center's first year priorities included a nationwide program for students in construction, architecture and engineering. Competing students may submit entries for "Smart-Aging Residential Design", a competition aimed at soliciting innovative ideas for this booming component of American homebuilding. The use of innovative materials, products and systems are strongly encouraged, with submissions due by mid-November. Establishing quality standards was important when setting guidelines for the Center's research success. These guidelines address existing structures, renovations and new age-appropriate senior units, to create a new awareness within the building industry about the special needs of seniors who wish to remain in their own homes and live independently. The guidelines will also give basic pointers to the aging network in counseling older Americans and their families in modifying their homes for later years. In addition to data collection and analysis in both products and technologies, categorized by strengths, weaknesses, and affordability, the Center also will conduct a series of National Housing Roundtables. Interactive discussions among representatives of the building industry, prospective consumers, aging network representatives and adult children of aging parents will all be asked to examine seniors' needs, with the first meeting to be held in early August. It stands to reason that providing for the needs of today's seniors will result in a benefit for their adult children as well. The study of senior housing, issues and trends, as well as the economy created by it will no doubt be uppermost in many building industry executives' (many of whom are themselves Baby Boomers) agendas as we move into the first decade of the 21st century. |
