Over the last 10 years, a handful of new housing options have emerged for older Americans.
Assisted-living facilities are now common, providing a comfortable alternative to nursing homes. Continuing-care retirement communities have more flexible plans nowadays. Many no longer require a non-refundable entry fee.
Seniors can find age-restricted communities loaded with amenities such as a golf course and recreation center. Or, they can choose multi-generational developments that have the kind of housing they prefer with first-floor master suites and maintenance-free grounds.
Overall, the housing trend for older individuals has been toward providing more options, not fewer. And now yet another alternative in the form of a country club community is on the way from Del Webb Corp., a senior housing innovator known for its popular active adult communities.
“There are a variety of types of senior buyers,” said Chuck Roach, senior vice president of Del Webb in Phoenix. “We are looking for different niches in that marketplace.”
Del Webb has announced plans to develop a so-called country-club community adjacent to its big Sun City West project in the Phoenix area. The community, yet unnamed, will have about 1,500 homes — small by Del Webb standards, which has previously built seniors-only communities with as many as 10,000 homes.
The community will be age-restricted. Unlike other seniors-only Del Webb properties, though, it will have limited activities and few common facilities. There will be a golf course but organized programs will be minimal. The houses themselves will be expensive, ranging from $200,000 to $500,000.
Del Web has successfully developed three other country-club communities, though none of them is age-restricted. This is the company’s first venture into a new type of seniors-only housing.
“We are trying to appeal to someone who is still working, but who wants some of the things that the seniors in our other developments have,” said Roach.
Country-club communities are not all that common here in the Midwest. They are more frequently found in the South and West.
Most country-club communities are built around a golf course. When you buy into a country-club development, you also buy a membership in the club. Typically, lots in country-club developments are sold to buyers who are then responsible for finding an architect and contractor to build the house.
In its first three country-club communities, which are not age-restricted, Del Webb modified the overall concept. It handled the home building for buyers, removing some of the hassle from the process.
Homes were not custom-made, but they were still quite costly. Fine details and finishes were common. Prices have ranged from $250,000 to $1 million.
The country-club buyer fits a certain profile, Roach believes. Country-club buyers tend to be less social than residents of other Del Webb communities. Country-club buyers are affluent. They also like the fact that the community is gated. (Most Del Webb developments do not restrict access.)
At the same time, older home buyers seem to be spending more on housing. Del Webb says the average selling price of homes in its Sun City developments has risen by $30,000 this year. Base home prices haven’t risen, but buyers are selecting extra features. Del Webb may have hit on something with its idea to offer a small-scale community to a narrow segment of affluent older home buyers.
Demographers seem to agree that Baby Boomers, the group now approaching retirement, are more diverse and will demand more options in housing than previous generations.
The development of age-restricted country-club projects comes at a challenging time for Del Webb. The company recently announced plans to build small active-adult communities and new “specialty” type communities, such as small-scale, multi-generational developments.
“We are a home builder,” said Roach. “We are best known for our age-restricted communities, but we are expanding where the market takes us . . . .”
Resources
– The Council for Jewish Elderly offers to help seniors fill out forms to
receive cash rebates and prescription drug coverage from the state’s Circuit Breaker and pharmaceutical programs. As of Jan. 1, the state raised the maximum annual income allowable to qualify for assistance to $21,218 for a one-person household, $28,480 for a two-income household and $35,770 for a three-person household.
Appointments can be made by calling the Council for Jewish Elderly at 773-508-1000 for February and March dates. Seniors can see counselors either at the council’s main office at 3003 W. Touhy Ave. in Chicago, or at Gidwitz Place, 1551 Lake Cook Rd., Deerfield. In order to complete the application, seniors need to provide a Social Security card, income records for 2000, landlord name, address and telephone number, statement of rent paid in 2000 or property tax paid.
– If you need help caring for an older adult, the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers has a $15 consumer directory that lists its members by state. For a copy, call 520-881-8008. Or check the group’s Web site at www.caremanager.org.
– The Illinois Department on Aging has a packet of information on nursing
homes. It includes details on how to apply and qualify for assistance from the government’s Medicaid program. For a copy, call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966.
– The Chicago Department on Aging offers a free brochure called “Helping Senior.” It lists the city’s programs for seniors, including information on meals, in-home help, transportation and other services. The brochure also has a list of senior centers in Chicago. For a copy, call the Chicago Department on Aging at 312-744-4016.
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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding housing for senior citizens, write to Senior Housing c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Il 60611. Or e-mail adler@corecomm.net
