Context

The County's population of 65 and older seniors is anticipated to nearly double between 2015 and 2045, from 74,587 to 145,040 residents. The increased senior population will have significant impacts on housing in the County, affecting both private and senior living arrangement housing.

As Chester County's residents age, their incomes may decrease or become fixed, and their mobility is likely to decrease, prompting the need for changes in their housing situations. Senior residents may desire less square footage or lower maintenance homes as their mobility decreases and their grown children move out. Every senior will have individual and evolving housing needs, requiring a range of housing types. Housing stock in the county will need to adapt to these needs including increasing smaller, affordably-priced, and senior living arrangement units.

This guide provides data on existing senior housing, potential impacts of the aging population on housing, and approaches and strategies to assist communities in planning for the future housing needs of their seniors.

Where Do Seniors Currently Live?

The Chester County Planning Commission completed an analysis of the housing types where seniors currently reside. Primarily, seniors live in either private market housing or senior living arrangements, however, the living configuration possibilities within those two categories are vast.

Where Seniors Live in Chester County

Private Housing

An estimated 90% of seniors live in private non-senior living arrangement housing.

Private housing is offered through the private market and is not restricted to occupancy based on age. Private housing includes market-rate and subsidized affordable homes. Private housing can come in multiple built forms including single-family detached, townhomes, stacked townhomes, multi-family apartments, mobile homes, cooperatives, accessory dwelling units, and tiny-homes. Private housing encompasses both rented and owner-occupied units. Within private housing seniors may live with a spouse or partner, roommate(s), private caregivers, or family member(s). Seniors may have dependents that they care for or may be the dependents being cared for.

Senior Living Arrangements

Only an estimated 10% of Chester County seniors currently reside in senior living arrangements.

Senior living arrangements are either restricted to or geared towards occupancy by residents above a designated age and may offer a continuum of care as a resident ages. Typically located in a development of multiple units or properties (in a community setting), senior living arrangements may be available for rent or ownership.

Senior living arrangements are legally permitted under federal Fair Housing laws if all residents are 62 years of age or older, or at least 80% of total units are occupied by a minimum of one person age 55 or older (HUD's Housing for Older Persons Act). Age restricted housing must also adhere to HUD verification and policies, and housing must be built on connected parcels.

There are five main types of senior living arrangement communities:

Active Adult

An estimated 6% of Chester County seniors live in active adult communities.

In active adult communities, residents rent or own housing in communities restricted by age. Residents maintain fully independent lifestyles. Active lifestyle communities in Chester County include mobile home parks, apartment complexes, and homeownership communities.

Assisted Living

An estimated 1% of Chester County seniors live in assisted living facilities.

Assisted living communities are multi-family housing with either private residences or shared units. Assisted living facilities provide higher levels of amenities including meals, laundry, and other services. Facilities may provide minimal nursing staff, but medical care is performed off-site. Assisted living is not always exclusively seniors.

Nursing Home

An estimated 2% of Chester County seniors live in nursing homes.

Nursing homes provide high levels of services including meals and laundry. Medical care is available on-site. Nursing homes are not always exclusively seniors.

Continuing Care

An estimated 1% of Chester County seniors live in continuing care facilities.

Continuing care communities provide a full spectrum of types of housing, ranging from active to nursing home. Continuing care communities allow for residents to change housing units within the overall community as their needs change.

What type of Housing Will Seniors Live In?

Based on the estimates on where seniors currently reside, the Planning Commission completed an analysis on housing needed to accommodate the projected population growth by 2045. If development were to occur with similar size projects, based on the average number of units per facility, an additional 31 independent living complexes, eight active-adult homeownership communities, 13 assisted living facilities, six continuing care facilities, and three nursing homes would need to be developed to match future demand. Additionally, seniors would live in an additional 30,000-40,000 units of private housing than the number of units currently estimated to be serving seniors.

Seniors' Housing Impact

Seniors' Impact on Private Housing

The aging population will have unique impacts on the way housing is used. Currently an estimated 90% of seniors reside in private housing that is not age restricted. Assuming this trend continues, which is likely given that people are living and staying active longer, the growing senior population will have a strong impact on the private housing market. Changes to the private housing market may include:

Homes for nuclear families may no longer be the norm. Traditionally, housing in the US was built to accommodate the nuclear family — two parents living with children — and Chester County followed these trends. This housing consisted of single-family homes with multiple bedrooms. In Chester County, 62% of occupied housing units are single-family detached, which is consistent with the national trend. An additional 18% of occupied units in Chester County are single family attached, higher than the 12% U.S. norm. 40% of occupied housing in Chester County had four bedrooms or more, more than double the 18% for the U.S. The demographic trends indicate however, that the housing type for a nuclear family is not matching up to the realities of what a household is, and will be in the coming decades in Chester County. An emerging trend of increased development and proposals for apartment complexes may be a reflection of this adjustment.

Seniors may need accessibility upgrades, additional income, new housing configurations, or live-in assistance to remain in their current residences. Seniors may have lower mobility and income, and decreases in cognitive abilities. They may no longer be able to afford or live safely in their current homes. Currently, an estimated 90% of Chester County residents aged 55 and older live in private, non-age restricted homes. Nationally, 76% of seniors would like to remain in their current residence as they age.³ However, the majority of existing homes are not set up to accommodate the needs of older residents, and one in three seniors say changes are needed to their home to accommodate their needs as they age. Nationally, three in ten people aged 55 and older say they would consider sharing their home, with additional seniors indicating they would consider sharing their home for assistance with daily activities.

New housing types may be needed to enable seniors to remain in their current communities. Seniors may desire to remain in their current communities, but their current homes may no longer meet their needs. Seniors may want to downsize after their children move out, decrease home maintenance, or be better connected to transportation and amenities. In a national survey, 77% of seniors indicated they wanted to stay in their current communities, and 13% indicated they would want to move to another home within their community.

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) may develop. Seniors may naturally choose to live in areas with other older adults, or intentionally form communities with other seniors. A Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) may develop over time in a community. These areas will not have the services provided by senior living arrangements, such as nursing and dining, and may not have appropriate infrastructures and services. Such areas would greatly benefit from increased infrastructure and connections to existing amenities.

Seniors' Impact on Senior Living Arrangements

Currently, an estimated eight percent of Chester County seniors live in senior living housing. There are indications that the demand for senior living housing remains strong and has the potential to grow. There are 13 projects in the pipeline as of 2019, which are projected to add 744 beds and 1,640 units. Potential changes to housing driven by senior living arrangements include:

New senior living arrangement multi-family housing projects may be needed to meet growing demand. Seniors many desire additional medical care, lower maintenance living situations, or social communities with residents of the same age. These residents may opt for senior living arrangement housing to meet their needs. Many of these communities' built forms differ from traditional single-family homes, whether they are stacked townhomes, communal homes, rooming houses, nursing homes, or multi-family apartment buildings. Many of these projects will require higher density and a greater variety of permitted uses.

Seniors may generate housing needs for their caregivers. Senior living housing, with the exception of active living communities, requires high numbers of staff, often in lower paying industries. These staff are likely to require an adequate supply of affordably-priced homes. The County is currently undersupplied in affordably-priced homes. The average wage in Chester County in 2018 was $71,031, which could afford 23% of the overall housing stock in the county. An annual wage of $34,200, comparable to what many workers providing care to seniors would earn, could only afford 2% of Chester County's housing stock.

Seniors' Impact on Community Services

Whether seniors choose to live in private or senior living housing, the growing senior population will affect infrastructure and public services. Some of the cost will be mitigated by the additional resources seniors provide to a community. Seniors who are retired or semi-retired often choose to use their time in volunteer roles in their local community, through non-profits, schools, or other outlets. Seniors may also choose to provide resources back to their community in other ways that reflect their values and priorities, such as support of a local community facility or park. Such service and support can reduce required resources from government or other funding entities. Infrastructure and public service changes may include:

Seniors may put additional strain on emergency services. Decreased mobility and other health challenges faced by seniors are likely to require increased medical care including ambulatory services, putting additional strain on emergency service responders and their funding sources.

Additional services may be needed to keep seniors socially connected. Due to decreased mobility and because of limited or no employment, seniors are at an increased risk of becoming socially isolated. While municipalities are unlikely to directly fund programs related to keeping seniors connected and active socially, non-profits and other organizations providing such services are likely to request support from municipalities where higher populations of seniors are located.

Additional multi-modal connections may be needed to keep seniors physically connected. Changes to seniors' physical abilities as they age may require different forms of transportation. Seniors may no longer be able to safely drive and will instead require higher amounts of public transportation. Additionally, seniors may need better pedestrian amenities such as sidewalks and wayfinding to connect them to amenities and services.

Senior communities may decrease the number of school aged-children. Seniors are less likely to have school aged-children, with an increasing senior population the number of students may decrease. The decreasing number of students may lessen the strain on school districts, particularly with respect to changing enrollments and a district's need to evolve to changing student enrollment numbers. Decreasing student enrollment could alternatively result in lack of students for school districts.

Less parking may be needed to meet the demand of seniors. Seniors may choose not to own private cars or have fewer cars due to changes in mobility or decreased frequency of trips after retirement, and therefore less parking may be required to accommodate them.

3. AARP Survey