Senior Housing: Build it and They Will Come?

Build it and they will come.

At least that’s the philosophy of Maureen Hewitt, president and CEO of InnovAge, a nonprofit that offers affordable senior care solutions. 

“While building apartments designed for seniors is a step in the right direction, we’re learning they can’t be built fast enough to meet the demand,” she writes in a column in The Denver Post. “I challenge others to explore this new report and build the facilities that older adults need now and in the future.” 

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Following the AARP and Harvard study that detailed a bleak outlook on the country’s ability to meet seniors’ housing needs, Hewitt admits that the report’s findings aren’t exactly groundbreaking to those in the health care and senior living industries. 

A general lack of housing designed with the older adult in mind, as well as a dearth of high-quality affordable housing, contribute to the imminent senior housing challenges. 

InnovAge has addressed these challenges in its 72-unit senior housing community in Thornton, Colo., finding that affordable senior housing is met with high demand. 

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“We’ve found the need is real: The complex is 100 percent leased and has a waiting list,” Hewitt writes. 

Industry experts have previously noted the growing need for affordable senior housing and some providers have already jumped on board. But it’s an opportunity many providers aren’t taking advantage of and one which could fuel business growth in the future. 

Read the full Denver Post article here

Written by Emily Study

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