The Senior Housing Shuffle:Connecting Public Policy To Universal Design, Sustainability, Health Management, And Aging In Place

Abstract

Having faced the turbulent waters of uncertainty connected with the underfunding of human service and health management programs before, Judy Jones, in this two part case study, is excited to learn of a major historical restoration in Uptown — a neighborhood of rich historical heritage and architecture which, over the decades, had fallen into disrepair and instability. Old Emory School was to be restored for use as a new senior housing facility by Preservation Incorporated. She knew that realities often fail to measure up to expectations in housing accessibility, affordability, safety, and health care management for the residents, and this was the situation she faced once more. Common managerial and housing related problems are encountered and Judy reflects on the advantages of a built environment that uses universal design principles and wonders why real estate and commercial developers, architects, and urban planners are not more sensitive to these orientations. Based on experience, common housing shortcomings are identified and their relationship to aging in place, sustainability, and selected titles of the Americans with Disability Act, 1990 (ADA, 1990), are explored.