By 2010, the well-known retirement centers in Arizona, New Mexico and Florida had at least half of their residents in their 50s or older. But the same could be said for North Dakota, where 10 counties reported half or more of their residents at least 50 years old.
Large swaths of Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas and Maine had aging populations of 40 percent to 49 percent. And the number of older Americans continues to climb.
“There is a big mismatch between the growing number of disabled people and the amount of housing that has accessible features,” Chris Herbert, acting managing director of the Harvard center, said during the Harvard center and AARP conference. In addition, adequate affordable housing has a direct correlation to the amount of money people spend on food, transportation and healthcare. Efforts have to start now to coordinate public, private and nonprofit organizations' efforts to provide additonal housing.
“Recognizing the implications of this profound demographic shift and taking immediate steps to address these issues is vital to our national standard of living,” he adds in a press release. “While it is ultimately up to individuals and their families to plan for future housing needs, it is also incumbent upon policy makers at all levels of government to see that affordable, appropriate housing, as well as supports for long-term aging in the community, are available for older adults across the income spectrum.”
“As Americans age, the need for safe and affordable housing options becomes even more critical,” says Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation. “High housing costs, aging homes and costly repairs can greatly impact those with limited incomes. The goal in our support of this report is to address the most critical needs of these households.”