demand among upper-income homebuyers of all ages also continues to <br />grow, many of whom may be younger baby boomers. The ability to <br />purchase second homes may be negatively affected by diminished <br />earnings and lack of equity in primary homes. <br />People prefer to remain in their community as they age.22 The challenges <br />that aging seniors face in continuing to live in their community include: <br />changes in healthcare needs, loss of mobility, the difficulty of home <br />maintenance, financial concerns, and increases in property taxes.23 Not all <br />of these issues can be addressed through housing or land-use policies. <br />Communities can address some of these issues through adopting policies <br />that: <br />• Diversify housing stock to allow development of smaller, <br />comparatively easily maintained houses in single-family zones, <br />such as single story townhouses, condominiums, and apartments. <br />• Allow commercial uses in residential zones, such as neighborhood <br />markets. <br />• Allow a mixture of housing densities and structure types in single- <br />family zones, such as single-family detached, single-family <br />attached, condominiums, and apartments. <br />• Promote the development of group housing for seniors that are <br />unable or choose not to continue living in a private house. These <br />facilities could include retirement communities for active seniors, <br />assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. <br />• Design public facilities so that they can be used by seniors with <br />limited mobility. For example, design and maintain sidewalks so <br />that they can be used by people in wheel chairs or using walkers. <br />Figure 12 shows that the largest generation of people in the U.S. is the <br />Echo Boomers, with about 85 million people in 2010. The Echo Boom <br />generation is likely to grow even larger as new immigrants arrive. The <br />oldest Echo Boomers turned 25 in 2010 and are beginning to form <br />households. Echo Boomers will be the primary driver of growth in new <br />households over the next twenty years. <br />22 A survey conducted by the AARP indicates that 90% of people 50 years and older want to stay in <br />their current home and community as they age. See http://www.aarp.org/research. <br />23 "Aging in Place: A toolkit for Local Governments" by M. Scott Ball. <br />Page 48 ECONorthwest Part 11 - Eugene Housing Needs Analysis <br />