Housing

The availability, affordability and variety of housing options support the widely held desire to remain in their communities as they age.

You can also find this page at aarp.org/housingpolicy.

Transportation

Row of Houses, Snoqualame Village, Public Policy Institute, Livable Communities

Featured Relationships

Preparing Homes for Life’s Changes

We expect our homes to last a lifetime, through all the joys and milestones. AARP collaborated with Lowe’s to ensure the needs of everyone who calls a place home can live comfortably at any life stage.

AARP Collaborating with REALTORS® to Educate Homebuyers about Finding Livable Neighborhoods

Integrating the AARP Livability Index: Great Neighborhoods for All Ages tool into the Realtors Property Resource® website and mobile app makes it easier for REALTORS® to help clients consider a variety of needs, including aging, when searching for a home.

Featured Publications

Expanding ADU Development and Occupancy: Solutions for Removing Local Barriers to ADU Construction

Created to help community leaders, planners, and housing practitioners and advocates overcome barriers to increasing the supply and legal occupancy of ADUs.

Accessory Dwelling Units: A Step by Step Guide to Design and Development

An ADU design catalogue for homeowners, builders, and local stakeholders who are interested in learning more about ADUs and expanding housing options within the community.

Home Based Care Management Landing Page Image

Supportive Housing: Meeting the Needs of an Aging Population

An overview of different supportive housing types that need to be expanded in communities throughout the country — and available to older adults at all incomes — to meet the growing demand of the aging population.

Grandmother and granddaughter cook togehter in the kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona.

Multigenerational Housing on the Rise

Research shows a rise in multigenerational households and highlights housing models that can address the future implications of housing needs for older adults and their families.

Mobile home park neighborhood in the tropics. Row of manufactured homes. Street view.

Manufactured Housing as an Affordable Option

Manufactured housing, formerly referred to as mobile homes, can be a low-cost, unsubsidized, and widely available alternative to other forms of housing for older adults.

The Village Model: Current Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

The Village model is a consumer-driven model that aims to promote aging in place for community-dwelling older adults.

Light rail transportation, housing, Portland, Oregon, Public Policy Institute, Livable Communities

Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities

Subsidized housing opportunities near transit and the 50+ population.

Future of Housing

Featuring seven megatrends that are shaping the future of housing for people of all ages and offering resources for policymakers, planners, and housing advocates and stakeholders.

Mature couple, working on budget, Housing, Public Policy Institute, Livable Communities

Loss of Housing Affordability Threatens Financial Stability for Older Middle-Class Adults

A look at the role of housing in establishing or undermining middle-class security among renters and homeowners, with a particular focus on households age 50 and older, housing affordability, the importance of home equity as an asset, and debt accumulation and foreclosure as threats to middle-class security. It also looks at how housing choices connect families of all ages to communities of middle-class opportunity—or limit those opportunities.

Mature women, washing dishes, kitchen, CoHousing, Public Policy Institute, Livable Communities

The Cohousing Movement and Its Position as an Option for Older Adults

A review of cohousing principles, the development and growing interest in the US, and current advantages and challenges when choosing this housing option.

Housing Accessibility

Housing accessibility is determined by whether housing can accommodate people of all ages and abilities, and is crucial to the majority of Americans who say they would like to remain in their homes as they age.

The expected growth of the older population between 2010 and 2050 (from 40 million and 13 percent of the population to 89 million and 20 percent of the population) means that more housing suitable for older adults will be in demand. Policymakers must act now to ensure an adequate supply of accessible housing.

PUBLICATIONS

Increasing Home Access: Designing for Visitability

Expanding Implementation of Universal Design and Visitability

Housing Policy Solutions to Support Aging with Options

Home Modifications to Promote Independent Living

Supportive Housing

Strategies to Meet the Housing Needs of Older Adults

Inclusive Home Design State Advocacy Tool Kit

Housing Affordability & Choice

Exterior of townhouse, small deck, Housing Affordability, Public Policy Institute, Livable Communities

Housing affordability determines whether individuals and families can live in a neighborhood without sacrificing other basic necessities such as health care. Low-income individuals and people living on a fixed income feel the effects of the nation’s affordable housing crisis acutely. Communities with a variety of housing options attract households of diverse sizes and income levels. They also support an individual’s choice to age in their home, in the community or in assisted living.