- Group housing typically looks
like a single-family residence from the outside and located within single-family
neighborhoods. Inside, each resident has a private bedroom and possibly a
private bathroom. The rest of the house is common space shared by all residents.
A certified nurse or care giver may reside on site or visit regularly. Not
all zoning codes allow group housing, but allowing group housing will
provide more options for older adults.
- Accessory dwelling units (ADU)
allows a 2nd unit to be built on a lot with an existing house.
The ADU may house a recent college graduate looking for a job or an
elderly parent. ADUs can also be rented to non-family members. Again, not
all zoning allows ADUs. However, including ADUs in the housing mix can
increase options for families as well as provide additional rental
options.
- ADUs can be taken to the next
level by allowing the ADU to be sold independent of the main house. This
can provide additional flexibility for the homeowner. To encourage more
accessible housing, zoning could allow the minimum lot size to be ½ the
current size provided that a "universal design" house built on each
½ lot. This would allow a homeowner in an
existing single-family neighborhood to scrap the house, replace with 2
universal design houses, and potentially live in one of the houses while
selling the other house to pay off the construction loan.
- For a mixed generational
neighborhood, every 3rd or 4th unit should be a
different size. For example, if the development is primarily a family
neighborhood with 3+ bedroom houses, the "other" houses would be
smaller such as patio homes for older adults. The housing mix should
attract singles, couples, families with children, and empty nesters.
- For multi-family units, require a mix of 1,
2, and 3+ bedrooms to accommodate all family sizes. All too often,
multi-family is not family-friendly. This needs to change to allow for
more affordable family size housing options. Accessibility is big for
older adults, so ensuring an adequate mix of accessible units is also very
important.
One of the goals is to support people living and aging in their city. Thus, aging in neighborhood is balanced by optimizing community resources in that larger houses are primarily occupied by larger households. When downsizing, hopefully the person or couple is literally only moving a few feet to a familiar house, thereby minimizing the stress associated with moving. A new young family now has the opportunity to move into the city and live in the larger house.