Judy’s bill on housing for older adults (CB 725) passed on a 10-0 vote Tuesday night. The bill lifts restrictions in the B-2 zone, making senior housing a use by right.
As noted the other day, Judy introduced this bill to make it possible for longtime District 9 residents to remain in the neighborhoods they’ve inhabited for decades, without the burden of caring for a large home. Demographic change have created a high demand for this type of housing, and it’s bound to grow higher as the population ages.
Why was senior housing prohibited in B-2 zones in the first place? It may be that in the era when these zones were defined, “senior housing” generally meant “nursing home.” But, as one of the speakers at Tuesday night’s hearing pointed out, the definition of “senior housing” has changed as people live longer and maintain healthier lifestyles. Today it often applies to housing that offers high degrees of independence.
In this case, the housing is almost indistinguishable from generic multifamily housing. Its advantages for seniors include ease of maintenance and easy proximity to transit, shopping, and other services. Above all, it allows neighborhoods to retain their most long-standing residents; it creates places for people to go when they’re ready to move out of a large house, but are still active and vital parts of their communities.
