Housing and Policy in an Aging World

Location: Graduate School of Design Gund Hall, Stubbins Room




Jennifer Molinsky, JCHS Senior Research Associate; Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Design; and Co-Author of Projections and Implications for Housing a Growing Population: Older Households 2015-2035 (moderator)

As the baby boom generation ages, the US population aged 65 and over is expected to grow from 48 million to 79 million; one in five Americans will be older than 65; and one in three households will be headed by someone older than 65. Similar changes are occurring throughout the world and surveys indicate that most of these people want to remain in their current homes for as long as possible. However, the U.S. and many other countries lack the accessible housing units and supportive social services needed to accommodate these desires. Panelists will discuss the projected growth in older Americans and explore how policymakers, planners, and public health professionals could work to address the challenges that growth will produce.