AARP Hearing Center
Housing needs change as we age, but it’s possible for our homes and communities to be livable for people of all ages and life stages. This free, online workshop will bring together local leaders, housing practitioners, and AARP staff and volunteers to explore how communities nationwide can provide safe, affordable housing options for individuals and families of all backgrounds, incomes and abilities.
Through four core themes — Housing Choice, Design, Stability, and Equity — the workshop will share best practices, insights and inspiring next steps for meeting the housing needs of a changing nation.
Day 1: Wednesday, September 21
See transcript further down the page.
Keynote Interview | Watch Video
- Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Moderator: Rosanna Márquez is a member of the AARP Board of Directors. She was formerly the Midwest regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Plenary Panel: Housing Choice | Watch Video
A discussion about diversifying housing choices in order to provide more options that can meet the needs of people of all ages, abilities and incomes.
- Emily Hamilton is a senior research fellow and director of the Urbanity Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Her research focuses on urban economics and land-use policy.
- Tya Winn is the executive director of the Community Design Collaborative, a Philadelphia-based architectural nonprofit, and an advocate for affordable housing and community development.
- Moderator: Shannon Guzman is the director of housing and livable communities for the AARP Public Policy Institute.
Plenary Panel: Housing Design | Watch Video
A discussion of efforts to design housing for people of all ages and ability levels, especially for older adults and residents with disabilities.
- Jennifer Molinsky is project director of the Housing and Aging Society Program at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. She leads research on housing challenges facing an aging population.
- Cynthia Shonaiya is an architect with 30 years of experience spanning three continents. She is the senior living market sector leader at the design firm Hord Coplan Macht.
- Moderator: Bandana Shrestha is the state director of AARP Oregon.
Conversation: State Leaders Taking Action | Watch Video
- Susan DeMarois was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the director of the California Department of Aging. She is preparing the state for the year 2030, by which time 1 in 4 Californians will be age 60 or older.
- Justin Wayne was elected to the Nebraska State Senate in 2016. He introduced the state's "Municipal Density and Missing Middle Housing Act," which was adopted in 2020.
- Moderator: Todd Stubbendieck is the State Director of AARP Nebraska.