For the first time ever, the world’s population comprises more people over age 65 than those under 5. Over the next 15 years, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, households whose members are 65 and older are expected to account for a third of U.S. housing needs, with households in their 80s growing fastest of all. That shift is unprecedented in the country’s history and demands new thinking about how America houses its elderly.

The trend of recent generations toward institutionalizing seniors is untenable: there simply won’t be enough institutions or younger people to staff them. It’s also far from ideal: even before the pandemic and the climate crisis exposed widespread shortcomings in long-term care facilities, study upon study found that seniors want to live in their own homes and communities as long as they possibly can. Housing is a platform for well-being at any stage of life, and that’s especially true in the later stages: location can facilitate elders’ connections to services, amenities, and other people; affordability can free up money for other needs; familiarity and continuity can contribute to stability and mental health; and physical features can support independence and safety. Aging in place has also been found to reduce individual and social costs compared to institution-based support.