Smaller Homes are the “Right-Size”

Today’s trend of decluttering and simplified living has become popular among all generations. Along with the benefits of easier maintenance and upkeep, people are realizing the cost savings that come with smaller, sustainable, energy-efficient living. However, many people are wary of the prospect of downsizing. And, it’s not just baby boomers who are joining in the “right-sizing” mind-set. Many millenials are also searching for homes with less maintenance and taking advantage of the energy savings of owning a smaller home. Living more sustainably and saving on energy costs are big draws in the attraction of downsizing,

A recent article published by AP News breaks down the benefits of finding a “right-sized” home. They write, “It scares people to think of moving into a smaller space, but every single person I interviewed who has made the transition says they are so happy they did.”

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Home Design Tips For Senior Housing

One of the largest generations is now looking for a new type of home. Baby Boomers are in the market for smaller homes so that they can age in place within their existing communities. However, very few homes incorporate all the features to help achieve this goal. An remarkable 3.5% of all homes in the U.S. include features that make it accessible for senior. Some of these senior features include extra-wide hallways and doors, main-floor master bedrooms, and handrails in the bathroom.

According to a recent article from the National Association of Homebuilders they predict that people 65 and older will jump from 26% of the population to 34% percent in 2038, with the fastest-growing age group among them in the 80+ category. However, the report notes that they’re less likely to move, with only 3.6% of individuals aged 65-79 — compared to 13.6% of those under 50 — relocating in 2017-2018, more than half of which relocated within the same county.

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Millennials As Caregivers? YES!

The media tends to be a little tough on the millennial generation. One thing you might not realize is that this group are the latest to take on the duties of “caregiver”. Over 1/4 of people who are caregivers are millennials now and that comes with it’s own set of challenges. All caregivers have a difficult job and family caregiving at any age can bring significant challenges.

A recent article from A Place For Mom addresses the particular challenges that millennials face based on their age and some of the traits associated with their generation. Here are FIVE challenges that Millennial caregivers are facing today according to the article:

1. Their caregiving duties are often invisible to their coworkers.

Financial challenges may lead millennials to be more fearful about losing their jobs because of their other responsibilities. Less than one-fifth of millennial caregivers even bother mentioning their caregiving responsibilities to their coworkers or employers. Older caregivers are more comfortable doing so, with nearly half of them putting it out in the open

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What YES Does

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By David Thompson, November 4, 2018

With your YES vote for Measure L, these low income seniors will get to stay and live in Davis. Otherwise, there are few places for them to go.

Davis Low Income Seniors are People by the Numbers

How many low income seniors will get a home in Davis?

This energy flowing through my senior years comes directly from the Davis Community through the Eleanor Roosevelt Circle, thank you. Davis is a uniquely qualified community to establish new models of senior housing. Please vote yes on Proposition L to house more seniors.”

Diane C. Evans, Davis

150 apartments will be built in Davis for low-income seniors
150 apartments is the minimum that will be built not the maximum
170 low income seniors and caregivers will live in those 150 apartments
129 of those 170 seniors will be single elderly females*
63 of the 170 seniors (37%) will be minorities*
37% of the 170 seniors (22%) will be seniors with defined disabilities*
The average age will be 75 years old*
One third of the apartments will be for seniors with incomes below $13,000 a year
All the 150 senior apartments can accommodate a live in caregiver
All 150 apartments are handicapped accessible with roll in showers

How many low-income senior are there on wait/interest lists in Davis?

“I am one of many active seniors whose name is on the long Davis senior housing wait lists. As the years tick by, my name moves up a place or three; but, having I started at 89th on the list, my chances are very slim to nonexistent that I will move into one of these units. Having lived and worked in Davis for over 20 years, Davis is my home. I am an example of many Davisites on these waiting lists. Please vote for Measure L — a new sustainable community that will enhance Davis.”

Cecily Bailey, Davis

Number of affordable senior units in the table above should be 228 not 208

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127% is the 12 month growth of the wait lists – from 186 in 2016 to 423 in 2017
Wait lists for Davis affordable senior housing run from three to five years
There are already 60 additional low income seniors on the interest list for the DSHC affordable apartments at WDAAC
This brings the total of the five lists to 483 low income seniors
YES on Measure L would increase low income senior apartments from 228 to 378

WDAAC* Number 1 in Affordable Housing in Davis

“I do not understand the massive false attacks by the No on L people on the critical needs of low income seniors and the 150 affordable senior apartments that will be their home if Measure L passes.”

Joan Axelson, Davis

27% of all the doors at WDAAC will be opened by low income seniors
The largest parcel of land ever given for affordable housing (approx 4 acres)
The most valuable parcel of land ever donated for affordable housing (approx $4 million)
The highest value of improvements ever for affordable housing
The largest number of affordable apartments ever built within a Davis development
The highest % of low income apartments of any development in Davis
The developer has exempted all the DSHC low income seniors from ever paying HOA (Home Owner Association) monthly fees

If No on Measure L passes what is the future for low income Davis seniors?

“Without the passage of Measure L, these 150 units of affordable senior housing will not be built in the foreseeable future and our current lack of housing options and income inequality will continue.”

Elizabeth Lasensky, Davis

Waiting lists are growing in numbers and getting longer due to low income seniors being a fast growing part of the Davis population
We have only 228 low income senior apartments in Davis to meet the tsunami
Eleanor Roosevelt Circle (ERC) was the last low income senior project proposed in Davis and that was years ago in the mid 1990’s.
If DSHC does not get built at WDAAC no other low income senior housing is planned
Even if another low income senior project was immediately proposed it would be a minimum of seven to eight years before seniors could move in
There is now only one convalescent home that takes in low-income seniors in Davis. Courtyard Health Care is 112 units. Sierra Health Care on Poleline Road, with 128 beds closed down about four years ago. This halved the number of beds for low income seniors in Davis. Elderly patients at Sierra Health were transferred to Woodland and as far away as Grass Valley.

Please Vote YES for Measure L

* These statistics replicate the current low income senior population at Eleanor Roosevelt Circle, 675 Cantrill, Davis.

For more information, go to www.npllc.org and to; www.westdavisactive.com

David J. Thompson is with Neighborhood Partners, LLC. Davis

Don Saylor, Yolo County Supervisor

Here is my perspective:

Davis Measure L, West Davis Active Adult Project. YES.

I urge YES vote. This project fulfills important needs and fits well in the proposed location.  The Davis community has an increasing proportion of seniors; we are experiencing our own “silver tsunami”.  As a Yolo County Supervisor, I  have heard three consistent needs when it comes to seniors: affordable and appropriate housing, transportation and access to health care.  The West Davis Active Adult Neighborhood/ Measure L addresses these three needs and provides a wide range of housing choices for future residents.

It’s Been an L of a Debate

“Battle lines drawn at Measure L forum,” said a recent headline in The Davis Enterprise.

“L YES!” said the campaign button that landed unsolicited in my mailbox.

As always, nothing comes easy in Davis, especially if you’re in the business of building homes.

“Few issues produce as much discord in the city of Davis as housing developments, and the West Davis Active Adult Community — Measure L on the November ballot — is no exception,” said the opening paragraph under Anne Ternus-Bellamy’s byline.

“That new development would provide up to 560 dwelling units, including for-sale, single-family detached homes, cottages, bungalows, stacked flats and apartments ranging in size from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet. Eighty percent of the units would be restricted to households that include at least one resident 55 years of age or older.”

As much as I love kids, I love seniors, too, and I have absolutely no problem with the occasional development being restricted largely to those of a certain age if that’s where they wish to live.

In addition to the age restriction, folks with ties to Davis in some way will move to the front of the line when it comes to purchasing one of the homes.

“It’s exclusionary,” claim opponents to the project, pointing to both the age restriction and the Davis connection.

Adds Ternus-Bellamy’s story, “A Sacramento attorney has filed suit over that aspect of the project, arguing it perpetuates the city’s racial imbalance and discriminates against minorities given that the city is a ‘largely white community’ to begin with.”

I’ll agree that long ago Davis was very much a “largely white community,” but that’s hardly the case anymore.

According to the most recent U.S. Census estimates released in July of 2017, the “white” population of Davis stands at 63.9 percent compared to 72.4 percent for California as a whole.

As for UC Davis, which pretty much dominates the city, the student body is just 25 percent “white,” behind “Asian/Pacific Islander” at 33 percent and just head of “Hispanic” at 22 percent. The faculty, however, is 59.3 percent white.

We’re also hearing claims that the project will be built on prime AG land, which is pretty much the case with every home in Davis.

Apparently, there will be a worldwide shortage of alfalfa if the project is allowed to go forward.

When attempts to portray the developer as an ageist or a racist fell flat, opponents seized on the word “active” in the project title as “insensitive” to those seniors who might not be as physically able as other seniors.

They even produced a condemnatory letter from the Fair Housing Council of Orange County, and don’t you just love it when Southern Californians lecture us about what we ought or ought not do in Davis?

The letter claims that the term “active” in the name “may tend to imply that people with disabilities may not be welcome.”

I realize that straws are illegal in Davis, but that’s what these folks are grasping at.

“The use of the term ‘active’ is already far too commonplace in connection with senior housing,” the letter goes on.

“While thus far it has not been found to be discriminatory per se, fair housing organizations such as ours discourage housing developers and operators from utilizing the term ‘active senior living’ or other descriptions to that effect.”

Wow. Talk about getting on a high horse and wagging a finger of shame at good and decent people who don’t deserve such hostility.

Ironically, it’s the folks bringing these charges who have a warped sense of what the word “active” means in reference to their fellow citizens.

Would they really say that Stephen Hawking was not “active?” Or Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Or Mother Teresa? Or, for heaven’s sake, my own mom and dad?

I’d submit that those people were the very definition of “active” almost until the day they died, no matter what physical challenges they may have faced along the way.

Yes, they probably couldn’t play pickle ball in their final years, but there’s no doubt they would have been welcomed as cherished and indeed “active” residents of the West Davis Active Adult Community.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net

WDAAC is Worth Backing

Please join us in voting Yes on Measure L. It fulfills important needs and fits well in the proposed location. The Davis community has an increasing proportion of seniors; we are experiencing our own “silver tsunami.” As Yolo County supervisors we have heard three consistent needs when it comes to seniors: housing, transportation and health care. The West Davis Active Adult Neighborhood/Measure L addresses these three needs and provides a wide range of housing choices for future residents.

Variety of Housing Choices. Yolo County and the Davis community have housing needs across the market spectrum. A Yes vote on Measure L will support 410 market rate units in various sizes and configurations and provides land for 150 income targeted affordable apartments. These homes are needed now and will provide needed relief to the local housing market.

We have watched the planning process for the past two years and have seen the plan adapt as community needs have been expressed during an extensive outreach effort. The result is a neighborhood plan that focuses on smaller homes to appeal to those who want to leave their larger and older homes. The project also includes a mix of condos, cottages, and bungalows that will be smaller and thus less expensive than larger homes.

The proposal reaffirms the Davis community’s commitment to including affordable housing in new developments. The project developers have partnered with an expert team of affordable housing developers with a decades long track record of delivering affordable housing. The Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance supports this project because it is the first development in years to provide affordable housing for seniors. We are excited to join in supporting affordable housing for our aging population.

Transportation Connections. The neighborhood design was modified during the outreach process to allow a circular flow of buses, vans and private vehicles. A neighborhood serving transit hub will include an area for rideshare services, protected seating, access for shuttles and/or buses, EV charging stations, and parking for shared vehicle programs.  Utilizing the Activity & Wellness Center as an indoor area where people can wait for transportation in comfort is central to this concept.

This center serves the neighborhood and the wider community who would like to travel to and from the neighborhood, medical services and the University Retirement Community. Covell Boulevard will be improved with upgraded intersections, bike and pedestrian striping, and landscaping. The neighborhood trail and bike network connects with the surrounding areas to encourage active access to healthy alternatives. The project will provide the City with additional discretionary funds to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian travel modes as well.

Health Care Needs Built into the Plan. Locating seniors, especially low-income seniors, proximate to health care is good planning. This project site is across the street from the Sutter complex of emergency room, hospital and medical offices. The Communicare John Jones Clinic is also located in the Sutter complex. This is one of the central health care providers for low-income residents of Yolo County.

Clinics operated by Dignity Health and UC Davis Health are also a short walk away. The neighborhood plan includes a three acre site set aside for specialized senior care. We know that there is a great need in Yolo County for such facilities and services. The Health and Wellness Center will include facilities for telemedicine as well, along with a gym, restaurant and meeting facilities, that will be accessible to all.

Access to Shopping and Community Amenities. The project location has great access to health care, transportation, and neighborhood shopping. Residents of the proposed project will have easy access to the Marketplace Shopping Center and to extensive biking and walking paths connecting West Davis to the entire community and beyond.

YES on L. We all have an obligation to provide for others. Our role as county supervisors is highly focused on the responsibility of helping those most in need. We know that every person counts. A Yes on Measure L will benefit a broad segment of our community. Please join us in voting Yes on Measure L.

By Jim Provenza and Don Saylor

— The authors are members of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors

Letters to the Editor – Pearl Carpenter

I have lived in Davis for almost 18 years. Over that time I have seen many projects built exclusively for students, while only two projects have been built for seniors, Eleanor Roosevelt and Shasta Point.

While “no on L” folks seem to feel that senior housing, particularly low-income housing, is not needed as much as homes for workers, it is well-known that the number of seniors is increasing rapidly, as more and more baby boomers are reaching these golden years. So now is not the time to turn our backs on this senior population, especially as many of them are faced with losing their ability to drive from other cities that are supplying senior housing. This project has easy access to public transportation, is very close to health facilities and other senior amenities will be included.

The “No on L” campaign argues the project is urban sprawl, yet it is actually more dense than the Cannery (13.8 versus 12.0 units per net acre, respectively). West Davis Active Adult Community includes 150 affordable housing units for low-income families, which is double the amount required by the City of Davis. Twenty percent of the individual homes will not be age restricted, meaning that families with children can purchase homes in this West Davis project as well. A Tot Lot for use by children living in the neighborhood, as well as visiting grandchildren, is also included. This intermixing of all ages is healthy for both seniors and the community.

Jason Taormino represented the project at the West Davis Active Adult Forum and I was particularly impressed with how much care he showed for the needs of both seniors and families. Hats off to father and son, Dave and Jason Taormino, as local Davis residents and builders who understand the total needs of our community. And thanks to our Davis City Council who unanimously approved this unique project. It will bring much attention from other cities as the right way to do a mixed development geared toward seniors.

Pearl Carpenter
Davis

Letters to the Editor – Sheila Allen

The Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance supports the West Davis Active Aging project in concept. Such a project could address the current and growing need for more senior housing in Davis that includes universal design and accessibility components both inside the house and in the neighborhood to allow persons to age in place.

In particular, we support additional affordable units to address an urgent need for older adults living in Davis. We look forward to actively participating when the developer and builders bring forward specific housing design plans.

Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance Board
Sheila Allen,
 executive director

Letters to the Editor – Rita T. Downs

As Gary Passmore noted so eloquently in his recent special to the Enterprise, “The Crisis We Aren’t Prepared For,” the aging of the California population is a trend which threatens to overwhelm the capacity of Californiacommunities to respond.

Voting for Measure L in the upcoming election is one way to show that Davis understands and cares about the upcoming crisis by planning ahead. Many community meetings have been held to elicit both interest and improvements in the plan. While some of the housing will attract higher end buyers, doing so will ensure the feasibility of developing lower-income apartments for seniors.

Please support this project which will both insure access to housing to both middle and lower-income seniors in our community who are in need now, and will be more so in the future. We have an opportunity to create a community with supports, not just housing, which will be a part of the solution in years to come.

Rita T. Downs

Davis