Senior Living and Retirement: Best, Most Affordable Places for Senior Housing in the Hudson Valley in 2013

The next crisis facing the Hudson Valley isn’t an economic one — or not entirely, anyway. Rather, we’re headed for a social emergency caused by the aging of the baby boom generation. Namely: housing for elders. Or a lack thereof, to be precise.

The first wave of some 80 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 is now approaching retirement age. According to the Urban Land Institute, 40 million boomers — some 8,000 every day — will turn 65 by 2020. Locally, the 2010 census counted 333,145 seniors living in nine of the Valley’s counties; that number will increase to 477,825 — an 18.9 percent jump — by 2030, according to Cornell University. As they get older, members of this generation are downsizing and requiring specialized care en masse. Consequently, the growing demand for appropriate housing far outpaces the supply. “We’re heading for a housing crisis, especially on the affordable side,” says Joe Czajka, head of the Center for Housing Solutions, an initiative launched last year by Pattern for Progress, the Newburgh-based think tank. “Due to the tremendous and drastic increase in the senior population, we need a significantly higher amount of high-quality affordable housing with amenities suitable for the aging population to live in.”

For seniors in search of suitable living arrangements, several new options have materialized in our area, while some old ones remain viable as well.

	ECHO Cottages: Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity Keeps Seniors Close to Family A new variation on the mother/daughter house
	Continuing Care Retirement Communities Offer Lifelong Care, Activities, and Amenities Peace of mind
	55-Plus Communities: Senior Housing in Luxury Developments Low-maintenance luxury
	Affordable Senior Housing Offers High Quality Living at a Low Price High quality, lower price
	Co-Housing Communities For Seniors Cooperative convenience