The latest in a string of reports on the region’s housing woes comes from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and focuses on the lack of family-sized housing while taking note of implications for older adult homeowners.

The full report with community-level data for the area of study is available here and below are some of the data and policy questions relative to older adults:

• Compared to 2000, older householders (age 65-79) may be downsizing more rapidly than in the past.
• How do we create more affordable senior-friendly options attractive to downsizing homeowners, enabling them to free up larger units for families? How do older adults see their housing needs and preferences, and what options and incentives could entice owners to transition to smaller units?
• What would be the impact of more widespread creation of Accessary Dwelling Units (ADUs)? These units could produce an income stream that allows seniors to age-in-place while also creating additional small housing units. However, subdivision of larger homes might actually reduce the number of larger units, or reduce the turnover of those units by allowing older households to stay in their large units longer than they could otherwise afford.