We are encouraging seniors to convert unused parts of their homes into little apartments where tenants can provide income some security some help with chores and conviviality. Imagine neighborhoods with many sweets in them that would be an intergenerational neighborhood keeping people active and connected and probably many needs met. Https://in-homesuites.Org
That’s a great idea, that’s been made into a very bad one by present rent control law in many communities.
Modifying a house to make a shared home a workable reality, such as adding a separate kitchen, is not a reversible process. Removing that new kitchen is defined as “demolition” of a housing unit, even if there is no such change to the overall living space that was there in the beginning.
More consequential is renting to someone constitutes establishing a long term possession by that tenant of that housing space. If that tenant turns out to be incompatible only under very narrow conditions is the homeowner able to evict that person or family.
Rent Control exists for a number of good reasons, but it also has the effect of making sharing much owner occupied under-utilized housing an extremely risky act.
They are great in concept and when they work, it is all good. Unfortunately it only takes one or two malfeasance cases for the entire thing to be brought down by regulation. College towns have frequently benefitted from these arrangements, seniors offering college kids rooms at a lower price in exchange for support. Wonderful when it works. Then there are cases of elder abuse, outright fraud, and other avenues of malfeasance that bring into question the entire viability of the option.
When I think of matching a need and an under-utilized resource, I wonder how houses of faith could be expanded. The legalities and logistics may be daunting, but could something work? My cousin's congregational church in MA is hundreds of years old but on the brink of closing due to dwindling membership and funds. What a tragic loss that would be of a beautiful building and grounds, not to mention historic service to a community.
This is EXACTLY why we are aging in place and not selling our homes! On top of that we see how these retirement communities have treated our parents and relatives-abominable in some cases. They are understaffed and often do not have the best medical credentials. I believe some of these chains are owned by hedge funds or similar. Less than keen is an understatement.
Very interesting article, and great job speed-researching! It makes me think of how some adult children prioritize medical care and safety for their parents over what the parents may actually want.
You are right, I prioritized my mothers longer term safety and moved her to an independent living facilty as she could no longer walk to her kitchen or care for her small first floor condo. She refused in home caregivers. She improved physically, but has been miserable having to live in a communal space. The issue is for her to live the way she wants would require 10x the money she has and for me (the only person in the family that will deal with her very difficult personality) to be at her daily service. Glad she is there now because 2 years in, her health is declining rapidly, both physically and mentally, and she will require lots of daily support. There has to be a balance between what the senior person desires and what is feasible for the family to provide in support of those desires.
Point well taken, Diane. It's not often an easy or feasible choice to make. I was very lucky--my mother was physically and mentally able to stay in her home, and for the last 2 years of her life, I was able to live with her (I'd just retired and we got along well). She was the one who (repeatedly) made the point that I did in my comment, but I think it was more a question of the balance you mention.
Those over 55 want choices. I currently live in an active over 55+ community in Topsham, Maine. People have moved here from over 38 states. People do a lot outside of the community with Bowdoin College, local nonprofits and many move here still working or reinventing themselves.
Senior living and communities need to completely rebrand to get future generations in. I'm a middle aged, late GenX/Xennial woman. I wouldn't mind a community when I'm older, but I don't want THAT kind of community. I also don't want cheesy programming that's basically daycare for old people. I want to have fun with people my age. Also, if I want to keep in touch with my ancestral heritage, these cultural-focused homes need to rethink their target market and really start looking at the fact that their future clientele may be English speaking. Right now, in Toronto, anyway, places like Yee Hong are very Cantonese and Mandarin-dominant. For them to survive in the long term, say, 40 years from now, they must start planning for English speaking clientele.
Lots of great ideas and thoughts here. There is still a need though for seniors places with medical care. My mother has Alzheimer’s and she needs care that is hard to get and expensive. A proportion of that “million retirees a year” will need medical support and there is little available for the 80% who can’t afford the private care and can’t get the subsidized care.
Great information, Don, thank you! Seems like the industry is set up to serve the stereotypical older, not the actual older. I’ve been reading for years about senior cohousing and Golden Girls houses. Those models, and the ones you describe here, are more in line with how we’re aging (at least, so far!).
A friend of mine moved to a really luxurious senior community near me. Gorgeous apartment! Wonderful social life! Then COVID hit and she was confined to her own place. I still had my own home and could go hiking and camping solo. I've since moved to a condo in a lovely community, so I have my independence.
I host 15-20 ladies in a private zoom session each week to discuss how to manage life in retirment. Not a single one of them has plans to live in anything other than their own home or condo. Not a one. I suspect if I did a survey of my entire audience- 7,300 women over 60 - I'd find much the samed. My entire substack is about thriving at this stage of life, not the other way around. Some of us have discussed creating our own tiny home community just so we can be in community with like minded women. NONE of these women want to join book clus, play picckle ball or travel. They are too busy discoving parts of themsevle the left behind due to obligations. The very idea of moving to such a facility as in the current housing market for elders is abhorant to them. It is for me as well. I live in a high rise with the owne of the building committed to NOT raising my rent bc I am retired. He gets it and I am extremly forturnate. Also as one who takes no medications, again very fortunate. I can not think how any current model of housig for seniors would serve me or any of the women who are part of my substack community. Developers have totally missed the marke on this issue.
The population projections may also give investors pause. Prior to Trump, the projections following the baby boomers were for level populations, not growth due in large part to immigration. Post Trump, the immigration impact has been tremendous so those projections are not looking as favorable. Building a building that can last 50 years doesn’t seem all that favorable if it will be empty in 20.
You entire premise exists only for well capitalized residents with strong retirement portfolios. The average NAV of this group is somewhere around $250,000. Who in the hell is going to get far in any type is pleasurable community with that amount of money? Just like other housing forms the inflation of expectations has greatly altered the prospect of “senior living” as a pipe dream for most.
Please add to options for seniors the ability to move to another country, obtain a visa, and live in a more affordable apartment/home with amenities included. Then as their level of care increases having your own daily nurse is very affordable. Examples: Thailand, Panama
A critical snag is being further distanced from family - even though they may live far away now. It sounds great -exotic, romantic even, to move to a new culture that is far more affordable. Will family and friends come to visit as you/they age? If you lose mobility would the “cheap healthcare/nurse be enough to stave off loneliness?
Not suggesting moving abroad is a bad idea but it is important to consider, as one ages, several scenarios that could make the decision, especially if not easily reversible, a regrettable one.
Controlling costs is the biggest problem in my opinion. People I know here in DC area in senior living are paying a premium + all the “extra” costs like having to incur additional, separate expense to have someone deliver and give medications. My friend pays $13,000 monthly for her husband’s care at Sunrise + separate expense for delivery and application of his meds! Unbelievable
We are encouraging seniors to convert unused parts of their homes into little apartments where tenants can provide income some security some help with chores and conviviality. Imagine neighborhoods with many sweets in them that would be an intergenerational neighborhood keeping people active and connected and probably many needs met. Https://in-homesuites.Org
That’s a great idea, that’s been made into a very bad one by present rent control law in many communities.
Modifying a house to make a shared home a workable reality, such as adding a separate kitchen, is not a reversible process. Removing that new kitchen is defined as “demolition” of a housing unit, even if there is no such change to the overall living space that was there in the beginning.
More consequential is renting to someone constitutes establishing a long term possession by that tenant of that housing space. If that tenant turns out to be incompatible only under very narrow conditions is the homeowner able to evict that person or family.
Rent Control exists for a number of good reasons, but it also has the effect of making sharing much owner occupied under-utilized housing an extremely risky act.
That's suites! But they are sweet😉
They are great in concept and when they work, it is all good. Unfortunately it only takes one or two malfeasance cases for the entire thing to be brought down by regulation. College towns have frequently benefitted from these arrangements, seniors offering college kids rooms at a lower price in exchange for support. Wonderful when it works. Then there are cases of elder abuse, outright fraud, and other avenues of malfeasance that bring into question the entire viability of the option.
When I think of matching a need and an under-utilized resource, I wonder how houses of faith could be expanded. The legalities and logistics may be daunting, but could something work? My cousin's congregational church in MA is hundreds of years old but on the brink of closing due to dwindling membership and funds. What a tragic loss that would be of a beautiful building and grounds, not to mention historic service to a community.
That's a very interesting idea, Wendl.
You might be interested in what Trinity United Methodist Church is doing in Atlanta. https://www.atlantatrinity.org/trinity-reborn
That's amazing, thanks so much for sharing this!
Thanks, Lynn. Very intelresting, and right on point.
This is EXACTLY why we are aging in place and not selling our homes! On top of that we see how these retirement communities have treated our parents and relatives-abominable in some cases. They are understaffed and often do not have the best medical credentials. I believe some of these chains are owned by hedge funds or similar. Less than keen is an understatement.
Very interesting article, and great job speed-researching! It makes me think of how some adult children prioritize medical care and safety for their parents over what the parents may actually want.
You are right, I prioritized my mothers longer term safety and moved her to an independent living facilty as she could no longer walk to her kitchen or care for her small first floor condo. She refused in home caregivers. She improved physically, but has been miserable having to live in a communal space. The issue is for her to live the way she wants would require 10x the money she has and for me (the only person in the family that will deal with her very difficult personality) to be at her daily service. Glad she is there now because 2 years in, her health is declining rapidly, both physically and mentally, and she will require lots of daily support. There has to be a balance between what the senior person desires and what is feasible for the family to provide in support of those desires.
Excellent point. Thanks, Diane!
Point well taken, Diane. It's not often an easy or feasible choice to make. I was very lucky--my mother was physically and mentally able to stay in her home, and for the last 2 years of her life, I was able to live with her (I'd just retired and we got along well). She was the one who (repeatedly) made the point that I did in my comment, but I think it was more a question of the balance you mention.
We kept my mother in her home until 97 and then assisted living was inevitable. Still going at101 and relatively content.
I'm glad that's working out.
Those over 55 want choices. I currently live in an active over 55+ community in Topsham, Maine. People have moved here from over 38 states. People do a lot outside of the community with Bowdoin College, local nonprofits and many move here still working or reinventing themselves.
Recently, Portland, Maine features Equality Commons, Maine's first LGBTQ+-focused affordable senior housing development. Located at 25 Casco Street next to the Equality Community Center, the 54-unit building offers income-restricted apartments for adults aged 55 and older with support services tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. [1] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjnq-Ccvtjk), [2] (https://www.themainewire.com/2026/08/maines-first-lgbtq-focused-affordable-senior-housing-complex-opens-in-portland/)
Kathy, thanks for this new information!
Senior living and communities need to completely rebrand to get future generations in. I'm a middle aged, late GenX/Xennial woman. I wouldn't mind a community when I'm older, but I don't want THAT kind of community. I also don't want cheesy programming that's basically daycare for old people. I want to have fun with people my age. Also, if I want to keep in touch with my ancestral heritage, these cultural-focused homes need to rethink their target market and really start looking at the fact that their future clientele may be English speaking. Right now, in Toronto, anyway, places like Yee Hong are very Cantonese and Mandarin-dominant. For them to survive in the long term, say, 40 years from now, they must start planning for English speaking clientele.
Lots of great ideas and thoughts here. There is still a need though for seniors places with medical care. My mother has Alzheimer’s and she needs care that is hard to get and expensive. A proportion of that “million retirees a year” will need medical support and there is little available for the 80% who can’t afford the private care and can’t get the subsidized care.
Good point. Thanks!
Great information, Don, thank you! Seems like the industry is set up to serve the stereotypical older, not the actual older. I’ve been reading for years about senior cohousing and Golden Girls houses. Those models, and the ones you describe here, are more in line with how we’re aging (at least, so far!).
Not just the stereotype older, but the older of the past, which had different expectations of life after work than current older generations.
A friend of mine moved to a really luxurious senior community near me. Gorgeous apartment! Wonderful social life! Then COVID hit and she was confined to her own place. I still had my own home and could go hiking and camping solo. I've since moved to a condo in a lovely community, so I have my independence.
Sometimes timing is everything!
I host 15-20 ladies in a private zoom session each week to discuss how to manage life in retirment. Not a single one of them has plans to live in anything other than their own home or condo. Not a one. I suspect if I did a survey of my entire audience- 7,300 women over 60 - I'd find much the samed. My entire substack is about thriving at this stage of life, not the other way around. Some of us have discussed creating our own tiny home community just so we can be in community with like minded women. NONE of these women want to join book clus, play picckle ball or travel. They are too busy discoving parts of themsevle the left behind due to obligations. The very idea of moving to such a facility as in the current housing market for elders is abhorant to them. It is for me as well. I live in a high rise with the owne of the building committed to NOT raising my rent bc I am retired. He gets it and I am extremly forturnate. Also as one who takes no medications, again very fortunate. I can not think how any current model of housig for seniors would serve me or any of the women who are part of my substack community. Developers have totally missed the marke on this issue.
The population projections may also give investors pause. Prior to Trump, the projections following the baby boomers were for level populations, not growth due in large part to immigration. Post Trump, the immigration impact has been tremendous so those projections are not looking as favorable. Building a building that can last 50 years doesn’t seem all that favorable if it will be empty in 20.
Thanks for adding that angle, Tim. I had not considered that.
You entire premise exists only for well capitalized residents with strong retirement portfolios. The average NAV of this group is somewhere around $250,000. Who in the hell is going to get far in any type is pleasurable community with that amount of money? Just like other housing forms the inflation of expectations has greatly altered the prospect of “senior living” as a pipe dream for most.
Absolutely true, John. Thanks for commenting.
You are not addressing one major issue. Dementia. What boomers want is going to be irrelevant if they have dementia. And a lot of them will get it.
True. A good reminder. Thanks!
Please add to options for seniors the ability to move to another country, obtain a visa, and live in a more affordable apartment/home with amenities included. Then as their level of care increases having your own daily nurse is very affordable. Examples: Thailand, Panama
A critical snag is being further distanced from family - even though they may live far away now. It sounds great -exotic, romantic even, to move to a new culture that is far more affordable. Will family and friends come to visit as you/they age? If you lose mobility would the “cheap healthcare/nurse be enough to stave off loneliness?
Not suggesting moving abroad is a bad idea but it is important to consider, as one ages, several scenarios that could make the decision, especially if not easily reversible, a regrettable one.
Controlling costs is the biggest problem in my opinion. People I know here in DC area in senior living are paying a premium + all the “extra” costs like having to incur additional, separate expense to have someone deliver and give medications. My friend pays $13,000 monthly for her husband’s care at Sunrise + separate expense for delivery and application of his meds! Unbelievable
Wow! That's rough.
I am 80, healthy and I just moved to an Erickson senior community in Virginia. It is excellent!!
Good to hear!