When the neighbors are all older too

Some older adults prefer age-restricted communities, while others want intergenerational living. There is little research showing which option is healthier.

Kathy Fitts loved her spacious home in suburban Atlanta. But after her children moved out and the pandemic exacerbated the isolation she often felt as a divorced woman, she left for Latitude Margaritaville, a Jimmy Buffett-themed housing development in Daytona Beach, Fla., to “55 and over”. /p>

While visiting a friend who had moved there, "I thought, wow, these people are having a great time," said Ms. Fitts, 68. . She bought a two-bedroom villa and moved in almost two years ago.

"I love it," she said. “There are so many things to do.” Getting around in her golf cart, she plays bocce and bunco, goes on bird walks and attends tribute band concerts. You probably couldn't get her out with a crowbar.

Do older people benefit from living exclusively with other older people? This is the standard model for senior housing in many configurations: independent and assisted living, continuing care retirement communities (also known as life plan communities), 55+ developments, subsidized affordable complexes .

But the prospect of living in an age-restricted development makes Robyn Ringler shudder. She and her husband, both retired in upstate New York, moved from a large house on 30 rural acres to a rented house near an elementary school in suburban Albany. /p>

"I love my friends who are the same age as me, but I love meeting and knowing people of all ages," said Ms. Ringler, who is 66 years old. She meets people while biking in her neighborhood or walking her goldendoodle; she knows the trick-or-treaters by name.

“That makes me allows me to stay more engaged in the world," she said. "It makes me feel like I'm part of a real community, a bigger family." As for the couple's current family, their daughter adult, who is about to start a new job, moved in temporarily with them – something more than 55 communities generally prohibit.

Although surveys show many Times that most seniors prefer to stay in their own homes as they age, about 800,000 people lived in assisted living last year, according to LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit service providers for seniors. An additional 745,000 people lived in continuing care communities and three million in federally supported affordable senior housing.

The National Investment Center for Housing and Senior Care estimates that 540 active adult communities with 82,000 units offer market-rate rental properties for seniors. In other 55+ developments, residents are purchasing homes and condos.

Age-restricted housing often requires a class income average or above. Homes in the Margaritaville community in Daytona Beach, for example, start at around $300,000.

At Riderwood, a continuing care community in Silver Spring, W. Maryland, which Lynn Cave moved to. In 2021, the entry fee for his one-bedroom-plus-living room apartment was $270,000 (90% is refundable after a resident moves out or dies). Its monthly cost of $3,300 includes utilities; cable, telephone and internet; use of the swimming pool and fitness center; and 30 meals per month.

Often, as in Ms. Cave's case, the sale of a house covers the costs. Low-income seniors have far fewer options. Jimmy Buffett's Latitude Margaritaville attracted many "55 and older" residents. Credit...Dustin Miller for The New York Times