Blueprint for Boomers

Va. Explores Housing Options for Retirees Who Want to Stay Put

Fairfax County is preparing for the retirement of the baby boomers by taking steps to make the next generation of homes safer and more convenient for people of all generations.

In addition to hosting a conference today called "Reinventing Your Home," about changing homes to suit the needs of older residents, county officials are considering incentives for builders and remodelers to incorporate "universal design" into single-family houses.

Like governments at every level, Northern Virginia is preparing for a huge demographic shift toward an older population and is searching for cost-effective alternatives to expensive and often age-segregated retirement communities.

A poll by AARP found that 84 percent of the over-50 population would like to remain in their homes, although only 16 percent have modified them for safety or comfort. A 2006 study in the journal Community Development reported that 1 million elderly people live in homes with serious rehab or modification needs that, if unmet, could force them to move.

Demand for suitable housing is expected to increase as baby boomers hit 65 in 2011. By 2050, one in five Americans will be older than 65, with the fastest growth in suburban areas, according to Census Bureau data.

Planners have been focusing on changes in the housing stock and developing strategies to create age-friendly homes in what might be called boomer towns. Promoting universal design in new construction and remodeling existing housing is one way to keep people in their homes as long as possible, a concept called "aging in place."

Among key principles of universal design are no-step entrances, wider doors and hallways for wheelchairs, and kitchens, baths, bedrooms and major appliances on the ground floor. Bathrooms have grab bars, and kitchen counters can be installed in varying heights. Besides their usefulness for aging homeowners, universal design features improve the so-called "visitability" of homes for older people and those with disabilities, including thousands of injured veterans.

But advocates hope to persuade builders and consumers that universal design is better for everyone. A child could use a lower kitchen counter, and parents wouldn't have to lug baby strollers up steps. Done well, the features can be inconspicuous and attractive, unlike an exterior ramp that might be slapped on later.

"The whole true sense of what universal design is, is that it's good for people all the time, regardless of age," said Elinor Ginzler, AARP senior vice president for livable communities.

Universal design began to catch on in the 1980s and received a boost from the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Its architectural elements are now commonplace in communities designed for people older than 50, in multifamily dwellings and in housing built with federal dollars. But challenges remain.

"It's had trouble making the same jump into single-family housing," Chris Lessard, chief executive of Lessard Group builders in Vienna. Lessard said too many builders misconstrue the movement as intended only for people with disabilities; homebuyers, especially first-timers, have been less than enthusiastic.

"Most people believe they're 10 years younger than their physical age, so they never think they're going to need it until they need it," Lessard said.