Category Archives for Housing

Report says nation not prepared to tackle senior housing crisis

Published in RINewsToday on March 11, 2024

With the graying of America, the nation is unprepared to provide needed housing and care for millions of seniors, warns a recently released 40-page report by the Cambridge-based Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.  The US population age 65 and over has skyrocketed 34% in the last decade, from 43 million in 2012 to 58 million in 2022. This growth is widespread, with urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country reporting increases in older residents, notes the report released on Nov. 30, 2023.

The report’s authors noted that over the same period, the share of households headed by older adults increased from 22 to 27% of all U.S. Households. The number of households headed by a person aged 80 and over will more than double between 2021 and 2040 to reach nearly 17 million households.  

Key takeaways of Harvard’s Housing Report

According to the report, “Housing America’s Older Adults 2023,” as the nation’s population of older adults swells, so, too, does demand for housing that is both affordable and able to accommodate older adults’ changing [health care] needs.   

Accessible housing is also in short supply, say the authors, noting that fewer than 4% of US homes offered the three key features of accessible housing—single-floor living, no-step entries, and wide hallways and doorways—at last measure.

As the US population ages, more older adults will struggle to afford either the home of their choice or the care they need, warns the report. “With subsidies for housing and LTC services scarce, many older adults will have to forgo needed care or rely on family and friends for assistance,” says Jennifer Molinsky, Project Director of the Housing on Aging Society Program at the Center. More funding would be a start, but there is tremendous need for creative alternatives to existing models of care and housing to better support the country’s rapidly aging population,” suggests the report. 

The report noted that seniors, whose incomes are often fixed or declining, increasingly face the “twin challenges” of finding affordable housing and the health care services they need to remain independent and at home. In 2021, an all-time high of nearly 11.2 million older adults were cost burdened, meaning they spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Cost burdens are particularly high for renters, homeowners with mortgages, and households aged 80 and over, the report emphasized.  

Costly long-term care (LTC) is out of reach for most seniors, the authors noting the cost of  LTC averaging over $100 per day, nationwide.  They say that most seniors who require these services, having very low incomes, have the fewest resources to pay for them. When LTC services are combined with housing costs, only 14% of single people 75 and over can afford a daily visit from a paid caregiver, and just 13% can afford to move to assisted living.    

The researchers say that government-funded rental assistance can provide crucial support to older adults with very low incomes, but demand dramatically outstrips supply. With homelessness on the rise among the older population, assistance is more important than ever, they add.  Even those with slightly higher incomes also struggle to qualify for government assistance; 29% of people living alone, aged 75+, have incomes above 50% of area median income, but cannot afford the cost of assisted living. Just 8% of this group could afford a daily visit from a home health aide, the report found.

Equity in housing as we age

The report also found that renters and homeowners of color face steeper burdens, too, in paying for housing.  While some older adults have home equity that can be tapped to pay for care or services, many do not. “This is not only because of the increasing number of older adults, but because of widening wealth and income inequality,” says Jennifer Molinsky, Project Director of the Housing an Aging Society Program at the Center, in a statement released on Nov. 30, 2023.  She served as the report’s lead author.

Older renters have only 2% of the net wealth of older homeowners and there are steep inequalities among owners as well; older Black homeowners have the lowest housing equity at $123,000, compared to $251,000 for older white homeowners, $200,000 for older Hispanic owners, and $270,000 for older owners who are Asian, multiracial, or another race, say the authors.

The report’s findings indicated that mortgage debt among older adults is rising, noting that between 1989 and 2022, the share of homeowners 65 to 79 with a mortgage increased from 24 to 41%, and the median mortgage debt shot up over 400%, from $21,000 in 1989 to $110,000.  Over 30% of homeowners age 80 and over are also carrying mortgages, up from just 3% three decades ago.

“Borrowing is often a way for older homeowners to access cash for basic needs or care,” says Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Center. “Given the importance of housing equity later in life there is a real need for safe and affordable mortgage products that work for older owners with limited incomes,” says Herbert.

The report’s authors suggested that financing incentives could provide better opportunities for those who wish to remain in their communities, but in more suitable homes; this would be particularly welcome in rural and other low-density areas where the choices are especially limited.

Climate change impacts housing

Finally, the growing threat of climate change is impacting older homeowners. The report’s authors noted that some states long favored by older adults because of their warmer weather are increasingly experiencing extreme heat and harsh storms. In addition to health risks, property damage is a rising concern, particularly for the increasing number of older people without insurance. “Severe storms in Florida caused $228 billion in property damage from February 2020 through April 2023, a state that is home to 8.3% of the nation’s older population,” says the report.

Tackling the senior housing crisis in Rhode Island

“Accessibility and affordability of housing has reached a crisis level, impacting all age groups. This excellent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University confirms that the impact on older Americans is particularly acute. That is why my focus on housing issues is at the top of my agenda, and why I am fighting so hard to pass legislation encouraging the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the number one priority of AARP.  The Harvard study makes it very clear that the need for housing and housing-based care for older adults is growing at an alarming rate, and in Rhode Island, I am dedicated to increasing the availability of suitable housing opportunities for our older residents,” says House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick).

“The housing report provides comprehensive information on the significant challenges related to the housing needs of older adults. The challenges in Rhode Island are amplified by an old housing stock usually lacking accessibility features and our low rate of housing production,” says Maureen Maigret, policy advisor for the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI.

Maigret, a former Director of the former Department of Elderly Affairs, identifies one particularly relevant section of Harvard’s Housing Report that discusses dual problems faced by older adults with both housing and support needs and how few have the financial means to pay for both housing and even a small amount of home care. This is important for Rhode Island with its high costs for long term care and a growing older population.

The Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI) applauds House Speaker Shekarchi and so many members of the legislature, specifically for their intense efforts to address the state’s housing needs, says Maigret. “We support the Governor’s budget proposal for a $100 Million Affordable Housing Bond issue but recommend the amount be increased along with an increase in the suggested amount of funds for priority projects for vulnerable populations including economically struggling seniors from just $7.5 Million of the bond dollars,” she says.

SACRI also supports legislation to ease development of ADUs, proposals that include accessibility features in new housing production, continuing the state Home Modification grant program and increasing the income cap for the state Property Tax Relief program, a program that helps both older homeowners and renters) to $50,000,” she says. 

ADUs and the Ocean State

Last week, Senator Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown) introduced S. 2630, that would allow homeowners to develop an accessory dwelling units (ADU) within the existing footprint of their structures by right, or build an attached or detached ADU if the lot is large enough. This is the companion bill to the one introduced in the House.

ADUs, sometimes referred to as in-law apartments, backyard cottages or “granny flats”, are accessories to existing housing, created as a conversion of part of a house (such as a walkout basement), an attachment to a house, a garage conversion, or a smaller, detached dwelling. They have become increasingly popular around the country in recent years as states and municipalities balance the need to create more housing with preserving the character of residential neighborhoods.

Seniors, especially, have taken to ADUs as a way to downsize while continuing to stay independent in the community. Now the Senate is poised to pass legislation to boost ADU development.

S. 2630 is similar to H 7062, sponsored by Rep. June S. Speakman (D-Dist. 68, Warren, Bristol) which passed the House on Feb. 14, but it differs primarily in how it allows municipalities to apply several code regulations.

If the Senate passes an ADU bill this year, lawmakers will have an opportunity to reconcile the two bills, either passing the house or senate version, or reconciling them somewhere in the middle, or making changes that aren’t in either. Lawmakers must now compromise, on behalf of their older constituents to hammer out legislation for Gov. Dan McKee to sign into law. This would be a first step in tackling the Senior housing crisis in Rhode Island.  It’s a no brainer – and passing it this year is critical to addressing the crisis in housing.

For a copy of Harvard’s Housing report, go to https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/housing-americas-older-adults-2023.

General Assembly considers “Granny Flats” proposal

Published in RINewsToday on April 24, 2023

By Herb Weiss

After AARP Rhode Island’s successful efforts to pass legislation last year, giving more flexibility to the types of structures and arrangements that would quality as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), during this year’s legislative session the state’s largest aging group is working closely with state lawmakers, aging and house groups to advance H 6082. Introduced by Rep. June Speakman (D-District 68, Bristol/Warren), the bill makes further improvements to enable more Rhode Islanders an opportunity to develop ADUs on their property. 

ADUs, sometimes called “in-law apartments” and “granny flats,” are accessories to existing housing, either as a conversion of part of a house (such as with a walkout basement), an attachment to a house or a smaller, detached dwelling. They have become increasingly popular around the nation in recent years as states and municipalities grapple with expanding the existing housing stock while preserving the feel of residential neighborhoods. Seniors, especially, have taken to ADUs as a way to downsize their living space while staying independent in the community.

H 6082 was written in collaboration with AARP Rhode Island, for whom increasing production of ADUs has been a primary policy goal for several years.

Encouraging the Construction of ADUs

H. 6082 would provide homeowners the right to develop an ADU on any lot larger than 20,000 square feet, provided that the design satisfies building code and infrastructure requirements. H 6082 would also provide homeowners on lots smaller than 20,000 square feet to construct an ADU within the existing footprint of the primary structure or existing secondary attached or detached structure that does not expand the footprint of the structure, provided that the design satisfies building code, size limits and infrastructure requirements.

The purpose of H. 6082 is to encourage the development of rental units that are likely to be affordable, and also provide opportunities for homeowners with extra space to generate income that helps them maintain ownership of that property.

To ensure that the bill achieves its goal of housing Rhode Islanders, the legislation prohibits ADUs constructed under this provision from being used as short-term rentals and streamlines the permitting process.  Speakman considers H 6082 to be a small but important part of the much broader effort that Rhode Island must adopt to encourage the development of affordable housing.

“Our housing crisis is very complex, and we must be creative and identify all the tools we can to create housing that makes the most of our resources. This particular bill removes some of the obstacles to building ADUs while respecting municipal land use policies,” says Speakman in a statement announcing her sponsorship of the ADU legislation.

“For many people, especially single people, and older adults, ADUs provide just enough space and could be a more affordable option than a larger, traditional apartment. For some, they might make it possible to stay in their neighborhood after downsizing from their own home, or they might be an opportunity to live in a neighborhood where apartments are scarce or are otherwise out of their price range,” notes Speakman, calling for more rental units.

“Accessory dwelling units are a great option to enable seniors to live at home independently and with dignity near their loved ones. They are also a very simple way to increase housing stock. Like several of the other pieces of legislation in the housing package I’ve put forward this year, this bill was developed based on feedback: in this case, from AARP, who made the ADU legislation one of their top priorities for this session,” stated House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-District 23, Warwick). “I am proud to support and co-sponsor this legislation because I know what a difference it will make for many seniors in Rhode Island to safely age in place,” he said.

Hearing puts spotlight on housing bills

On March 16th, the Municipal Government and Housing Committee held a hearing on H 6082, part of a 14-bill housing package had earlier in the month by Shekarchi to encourage housing production. The legislation in the package stems from the work of the House Commission to Study the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act, which Speakman has led since its inception in 2021, and another commission studying all aspects of land use and development.

In her testimony, AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor stated that passing H 6082 would be a “great step forward” to improve the existing ADU legislation and to provide municipalities with guidance on how to apply the law in their locality.

ADUs can potentially improve the lives of seniors, caregivers, and people of all ages, too, says Taylor. According to AARP Rhode Island’s November 2021 Vital Voices survey over 54% of Rhode Islanders over age 45 would consider creating an ADU if the space was available.  In addition, a strong majority (84%) of Rhode Islanders aged 45 and over strongly or somewhat support town ordinances that makes it easier for property owners to create an ADU.

“Allowing ADUs by right where the proposed ADU is located within the existing footprint of the primary structure or existing secondary attached or detached structure and does not expand the footprint of the structure will provide the housing options and security that Rhode Island residents are looking for,” notes Taylor.

Warwick resident Keri-Lynn Edge and her husband contemplated building an addition on her property for her widowed mother who required constant care and assistance with activities of daily living. “Buying a home or condo, even if closer to us, would leave us in a similar predicament. It would take me away from my home to care for her and handle her affairs. So, an ADU seemed like the perfect solution,” she told the Committee. 

“Unfortunately, I am currently at a standstill with how to progress, and I am hopeful that this talk of ADUs comes to fruition,” says Edge, noting that the City of Warwick only allows one dwelling on a property and even though it is aware of H 6082 it won’t authorize building of ADUs until legislation is enacted.

In comments, retired Registered Nurse Timothy Tobin spoke of his long-standing plan to build an ADU on his daughter’s property in Bristol to live closer to her and his five grandchildren. Ultimately, he found out that in Rhode Island’s economic climate, specifically in his town, this project was too costly. “Between restrictive town and state building codes and very high prices for the actual building to comply with the codes, our dream is all but dashed,” he said.

RI Housing, the Housing Network, RI Realtors, and the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association (offering comments to make the bill clear) submitted testimony supporting the expansion of ADUs. Governor Dan McKee, sending his blessing and support for the passage of H 6082, noted it will “clarify and noting that it will streamline permitting processes, standardize notice and advertising requirements, and incentivize creative ways to build more housing in Rhode Island.   

And RI AARP members sent dozens of emails from all corners of the state urging the Municipal Government and Housing Committee to pass the ADU legislative proposal, too.

Although there was no opposition at the committee hearing for the legislative proposal, the House GOP caucus supports the concept, but expressed concerns about its impact on Rhode Island communities.  “While ADUs have been a fabric of housing throughout Rhode Island including the rural districts that I represent, they bring with them some concerns that should not be overlooked,” says House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale (R-District 40, Foster, Glocester).” The current proposal can be modified into an effective tool to help combat the housing shortage, but it requires input from all of our municipalities – particularly those like the ones in my remote district,” he notes.

Chippendale says that this legislative proposal currently before the Assembly isn’t inherently bad, but it needs to consider the challenges it creates for all  39 municipalities. “For example – if there is not sufficient off-street parking, which this bill severely limits, towns like Foster, Glocester, Western Coventry and others can have problems. Issues such as snow plowing an already narrow roadway, the passage of large vehicles such as fire trucks, garbage trucks and others that can be impacted by cars parking on the roads.  Further, they can represent a drain on limited resources such as drinking water when more people are being allowed to draw from an existing aquifer that may already be operating under duress. The same applies to neighborhoods that have water districts with limited water supply,” he adds. 

Ultimately, no action was taken at the hearing, noted House Communications Director Larry Berman, noting that it’s the usual practice to receive input at the first hearing. “We expect a second hearing to be held in the coming weeks in which it will likely be voted on and moved to the full House for consideration,” he said.

According to Berman, the Senate has not yet duplicated this bill, but he anticipates that the upper chamber will before the end of the session in June. “It won’t be included in the budget because it doesn’t have a fiscal impact on the state,” he stated, noting .

Speakman has backing from House leadership.  In addition to Speaker Shekarchi, it is co-sponsored by Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian of East Providence, who is the number three ranking member in House leadership, and also by Chairman Stephen Casey of Woonsocket, who chairs the House Municipal Government and Housing Committee where the bill is the being considered.  Of course, Speakman chairs the House Commission on Low and Moderate Income Housing as well.

Other H 6082 cosponsors are: Rep. Megan Cotter (D-District 39, Exeter, Richmond); Rep. Jason Knight (D-District 67, Barrington; Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-District 69, Bristol and Portsmouth; Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi (D-District 34, Narragansett, South Kingston); Rep. Cherie Cruz (D-District 58, Pawtucket); Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-District 72, Middletown, Portsmouth).

While the House mulls over Speakman’s legislative proposal, Smithfield just passed an ADU ordinance allowing property owners of single-family and multi-family homes to construct ADUs up to 900 square feet.  Other communities might consider following this community’s lead. 

With strong support of House Democratic caucus and no fiscal impact on the state coffers, there’s a very good chance that H 6082 might just make it to the legislative finish line.  Now it is time for the Senate to quickly act and pass a companion measure.  Expanding ADUs in every Rhode Island community is sound housing policy that will provide access to much needed housing. It’s the right thing to do.  

Housing Report Supports Push to Approve Question 7

Published in Woonsocket Call on October 30, 2016

Earlier this year, Rhode Island Housing (RIH) released a 44 -page report detailing the Ocean State’s current and future housing needs. One thing was clear to those attending this event: over the next decade the state will need more affordable housing for its residents.

Over the last 7 months, RIH’s Executive Director Barbara Fields has crisscrossed the Ocean State calling for increased housing opportunities for working Rhode Islanders. During this period of time she has presented the study’s findings to more than a dozen civic and government groups, including AARP Rhode Island, the Providence City Council and United Way.

During the last legislative session Rhode Island housing advocates were successful in their push for the enactment of a bond initiative that would make a significant state investment in affordable housing. As part of the omnibus statewide budget package, a $50 million Housing Opportunity Bond initiative for housing programs was passed by the House and Senate chambers, ultimately to be signed into law by Governor Gina Raimondo (D) and put to voter approval on the November ballot.

With the November election fast approaching, Fields has not let her report, compiled by HousingWorks RI, a research program at Rogers Williams University, sit on a dusty shelf but is using it to push for passage of the housing bond initiatives.

RIH Releases its Comprehensive Housing Study

On April 6, Fields gathered with state housing advocacy groups at the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to unveil RIH’s landmark housing study, Projecting Future Housing Needs. Fields warned that the state’s economic comeback must be tied to new and existing housing that stays within the financial reach of Rhode Islanders. “Today in Rhode Island, the demand for housing is high while the supply is much too low. This imbalance simply makes the cost of housing too expensive for what our residents earn. This report provides critical insight into what the future needs of Rhode Islanders will be and that information will allow us to develop a plan to address those needs,” she said.

At this event, Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor tied adequate housing for working Rhode Islanders as key to bringing businesses to the Ocean State. “Companies looking to expand or relocate consider how well they will be able to retain and attract their workforce, and a key part of doing so is ensuring that employees of all income levels have high quality housing opportunities,” said Pryor. “It’s vital to our state’s economic success and our quality of life that we preserve and produce high quality housing options for our residents,” he added.

The RIH report’s findings indicate that Rhode Island’s population is projected to grow between 3 and 5 percent from 2015 to 2025. Researchers warn that new housing demand will outpace population growth, and anticipate a 12 to 13 percent increase in the number of households, driven by a growing population and simultaneous decline in household size tied to both lower birth rates and an aging population. Researchers also predict housing demand will be driven by a large population growth in two demographic groups that tend to have lower incomes – namely aging baby boomers and seniors and young millennials.

According to the RIH report, cost burden problems of paying rent do not just impact older Rhode Islanders and Millennials, but have become more mainstream issues over the last ten years and now affect all income brackets. The findings found that Rhode Islanders already pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs, and that more than half of the increase in cost burden from 2000 to 2012 impacted households earning more than $57,700.

From 2000 to 2014, the researchers found that the state’s total population grew marginally at 0.11 percent, but the number of households grew by 0.28 percent. Rhode Island’s smaller household sizes are due, in part, to a larger proportion of older persons and a smaller proportion of persons of color when compared to national rates. Younger households are likely to have more people than those headed by people aged 65 and older, primarily because they are more likely to be family households with children. As this demographic shift continues, the future population will need more housing units to meet the increased household need caused by smaller household sizes typical of older householders.

Pushing for Passage of Question 7

Like Fields, Chris Hunter, campaign manager for the Yes On 7 Campaign, sees the RIH report’s findings as crucial information that voters need to know about the impending housing crisis. “As Rhode Island Housing’s recent report shows, we’re simply not creating enough new housing to meet projected population growth. At the same time we’re facing an affordability crunch as our young workers just starting their careers, families, veterans, and seniors are having a difficult time paying for housing while also making ends meet,” says Hunter.

“That’s why Question 7 and the $50 million Housing Opportunity bond is such a smart investment in housing and Rhode Island’s economy,” says Hunter, stressing that if approved by the voters the $50 million bond initiative will leverage an additional $160 million in federal and private investments.

According to Hunter, if approved, $40 million of the bond dollars will be allocated to the construction of affordable homes and apartments across Rhode Island, while the remaining $10 million will be used to help cities and towns revitalize blighted and foreclosed properties. The bond will also fund the construction of 800 affordable homes and apartments across Rhode Island and create 1,700 good paying local construction jobs.

Over 60 percent of Rhode Island voters passed housing bond initiatives in put on the ballot in 2006 ($50 million) and 2012 ($25 million), says Hunter. “Funding from these last two affordable housing bonds created 1,943 affordable units in 30 communities around the state, and leveraged more than $300 million in federal and private investment in these projects,” he says.

RIH‘s housing report has sounded the alarm, giving a stark warning to local and state officials that a housing crisis exists and will only get worse with the shifting of the state’s demographics. With the election looming, RIH’s Fields continues to push for passage on Question 7. Hunter works to mobilize his housing advocates and supporters of Question 7 to get the word out to every voter in Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns that this bond initiative must be passed. Hopefully, their message will get across to Rhode Island voters. We’ll see when the votes are counted.

For more details on Question 7, visit http://www.yeson7ri.com.

Herb Weiss, LRI’12 is a Pawtucket writer covering aging, health care and medical issues. To purchase Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly, a collection of 79 of his weekly commentaries, go to herbweiss.com.