When I wrote about university-affiliated senior living communities for Environments for Aging magazine in 2105, university leaders weren't too keen on the idea of developing these on their campuses.
It seemed like a brilliant idea to me -- after all, universities are already in the housing business and they have a lot of older alums who would jump at the chance to come back to live on or near campus and have access to educational programs, the arts, sporting events, etc. Plus, even though residents would still be segregated by age, they'd have the opportunity to engage with students at the university.
Aside from a few exceptions, it was an idea ahead of its time. But now, almost 10 years later, times have changed.
Reaching Out
Senior Housing News recently reported that every month, Lassell Village, a CCRC on the campus of Lassell University near Boston, gets calls from other academic institutions seeking advice on how to build their own campus-based senior living communities. Lassell, which opened in 2000, has been so successful that it's now adding 42 independent living units, a new dining center, community center, and other amenities.
And get this. There are 300 households on the waiting list to get into Lassell Village.
With an undergraduate population of @1,200, I bet those aren't all alums, either. Just think of the potential customer base for a large academic institution.
Where are These University-Based Senior Living Communities?
According to UniversityRetirementCommunities.com, a website launched last year that provides a directory of university-affiliated senior living communities in the U.S., there are 75-100 such places -- including campus-based communities at Stanford, Duke, Notre Dame, Penn State, and the Universities of Virginia, Florida, and Alabama. Besides Lassell Village, others I know about are:
- Broadview Senior Living at SUNY Purchase, N.Y. Independent senior living apartments and villas that opened in December 2023.
- Mirabella at Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. A high-rise urban life plan community that opened in December 2020.
- The Spires at Berry College, Rome, Ga. A life plan community adjacent to the college that opened in June 2020.
Obviously, having a senior community on or close to campus creates a whole different type of engagement and activity -- for both seniors and students. That's why I love this model. However, most of these properties are at the higher end of the market.
I wonder if anyone is considering offering a lower-cost option of intergenerational housing on campus for students and active seniors. Wouldn't that be interesting?
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Photo: Mirabella at ASU, Pacific Retirement Services
