More Baby Boomers Are Living in Multigenerational Housing

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Last year, Joan Bailey, now 86, had a stroke and was sent to a rehabilitation facility. “All I could think was, if I just get back to co-housing, I’ll be fine,” she says. For the past 21 years, Bailey has lived in a multigenerational community in Portland, Ore. “It’s why I’m still alive. I find it to be very stimulating and interesting to have all the different ages around.”

A 2018 Columbia University study found that healthy adults who reside in multigenerational housing live longer. And a Pew Research Center analysis last year found that Americans are increasingly residing multigenerationally—20% of Americans live in a home that includes adults from two or more generations, up from 12% in 1980. Developers have taken note. “Multigenerational housing is becoming more common, though it’s still essentially in a startup phase,” says Andrew Carle, adjunct faculty for Georgetown’s program in senior living administration. “It’s because baby boomers all want the same three things: active, intellectually stimulating, and intergenerational.”

University-Based

Mirabella at Arizona State University | Tempe; scheduled to open in 2020

Residence in this 20-story glass tower comes with an ID card for class and library access, plus the chance to engage with a 50,000-strong student body. The development, a nonprofit set up by ASU and an operator of retirement communities, was built on university land. Its swift success—90% of the units have already sold—has stirred much discussion and led to copycats at colleges and universities throughout the country.

Features
● 304 apartments
● 4 restaurants
● Suites for future private nursing, assisted living, and memory care
Requirements
● 62+
● Healthy, independent
Price
● $350,000 to $1 million
● $4,000 to $5,500 for monthly maintenance
● $1,000 to be put on waitlist

Mixed-Use

Kampung Admiralty | Singapore

Public elderly housing in a complex that includes a 220-child day-care center, dining hall, supermarket, and health center. The setup encourages intergenerational activities and bustle. Seven government agencies are behind the development, including Singapore’s housing, health, parks, and transportation departments.

Features
● 100 small units (380 to 480 sq. ft.)
● Winner, 2018 World Architecture Festival’s building of the year
● 500-unit bike-share hub
● Roof gardens, which expand the already extensive green space of the property
Requirements
● 55+
Price
● $90,000 to $115,000

Co-Housing

Trillium Hollow | Portland, Ore.

Set on 4 acres just outside the city limits, this community has residents ranging in age from 3 to 87. With no management company, members run the homeowners association, facilities, gardens, and meal program. All decisions are by consensus.

Features
● 29 private condos (studios to 4-bedrooms)
● 3-story common house, creek, community garden
Requirements
● 6 hours a month of community work
Price
● $175,000 to $368,000

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dimitra Kessenides at dkessenides1@bloomberg.net, Eric Gelman

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