The Graying of New York

As the city’s population gets grayer, co-op and condo boards are faced with immense challenges. At a meeting in the Center for Architecture in Manhattan on Thursday, the affordable-housing advocacy group Enterprise Community Partners released two “Aging in Place” guides to help boards, property managers and developers make it possible for senior citizens to remain in their apartments and age with dignity.

The first guide, “Addressing the Needs of Aging Tenants in Your Building,” helps New York City boards and managers locate specific resources offered by the city and other organizations. Recommendations include measuring senior residents’ needs, and setting up peer networks to encourage socialization. The second guide offers suggestions on how architects and developers can accommodate aging residents both in new construction and in renovations.

“Developers, housing providers and (boards) all need to continue to think about how to better support aging residents, and that means bringing everything from innovative new designs to health care programs into people’s homes,” said Laurel Blatchford, senior vice president at Enterprise.

For additional suggestions on how to deal with an aging population, see “Who’s That Old Guy in the Mirror?” from our February issue.