Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elder Housing at Prospect?
This is a form of collaborative housing that offers residents an old-fashioned sense of neighborhood. Members know their neighbors well and there is a strong sense of community that is typically absent in contemporary cities and suburbs.
This development will consist of private, fully-equipped dwellings designed for people to “age in place” and extensive common amenities including a shared clubhouse and recreation areas. What makes this unique is the strong partnership which is created among the future residents and the professional team. Together the residents and professionals create a custom built close-knit neighborhood managed by the members with a healthy blend of privacy and community.
What are the Defining Characteristics of Elder Housing?
1. Participatory Process. Future residents participate in the creation of the community so it meets their needs.
2. Neighborhood Design. The physical layout and orientation of the buildings and the site plan encourages a sense of community. For example, the private residences are typically clustered on the land leaving more shared open space; the dwellings usually face each other across a pedestrian walkway or courtyard; and cars are parked on the periphery so people can walk to and from their homes to encourage social interaction. The Clubhouse is often visible from the front door of every dwelling. But more important than the physical layout, the intent is to create a strong sense of community. Elder Housing will also be designed with the special needs of older adults in mind using Universal Design concepts throughout.
3. Common Facilities. Common facilities are designed for daily use, are an integral part of the community, and supplement the private residences. The community-owned Clubhouse typically includes a common kitchen, dining area, sitting area, laundry and may also have a workshop for tools, library, exercise room, office area, crafts room, overnight guest rooms, and one or two suites which can be used for healthcare professionals as the need arises. Elder Housing clusters usually have well-landscaped lawns, and raised organic vegetable gardens.
4. Resident Management. The HOA is self-managed by the residents. Members meet regularly (usually once a month) to develop policies and handle business matters for the neighborhood. Elder members may choose to do the work required to maintain the property or to hire out landscaping and repairs. Shared community meals typically happen several times per week. Members may participate in the preparation of common meals for the pleasure of cooking together or have meals prepared by an outside chef.
5. Non-Hierarchical Structure and Decision-Making. There are leadership roles and community responsibilities but no one person or persons has authority over others. Most groups start with one or two “burning souls.” As people join the Elder group, each person takes on one or more roles consistent with his or her skills, abilities and interests. Most Elder Housing communities make all of their decisions by consensus. Many groups have a policy for voting if consensus cannot be reached after a number of attempts.
6. No Shared Community Economy. The community at Prospect is not a source of income for its members. Occasionally, an Elder Housing group will pay one of its own members to do a specific task (usually time limited such as building repair or maintenance). More typically the task will simply be considered that member’s contribution (i.e. handling insurance matters for the homeowner’s association).
What is Elder Housing?
This innovative form of housing came to the U.S. 15 years ago from Denmark originally as a multi-generational model. In Denmark, the multi-generational communities gave birth to an age-specific housing option for active elders age 55 and older.
The first elder-only housing neighborhoods are just now emerging in the U.S. Each Elder community will be unique. Our Elder group at Prospect will form based on the needs and interests of the individual members.
What are the unique characteristics of Elder Housing?
1. Age specific. Each Elder Housing community is open to people 55 years and older.
2. Independent Living. Members can stay in the community as long as they are able to care for themselves.
3. Desire to live in a community of elders. All residents choose this option because they want to live in community with their peers.
4. Environmentally sensitive. Elder Housing Communities encourage recycling, composting, meals prepared with organic produce, biking in addition to driving, a low maintenance landscape, and limit the use of pesticides.
How does this differ from other kinds of living arrangements?
This housing concept is unique in the United States for several reasons. First, it provides a healthy balance between privacy and the benefits of a close-knit community of neighbors. Second, it is created by an efficient partnership between future residents and an experienced professional development team. Third, it is designed to allow residents to be able to "age in community" while surrounded by caring neighbors who are aware of your wishes as you age.
How is home ownership legally structured in this development?
Members at Prospect will own their homes with an individual mortgage, and be a member of the Homeowner’s Association (HOA), who owns and manages any common land or facilities.
How is the Homeowners Association run and supported?
Each homeowner is a member of the HOA, the governing organization of the community and has an equal say in the creation of the annual budget. Each resident is often expected to officially be a member of the Board during some part of their living in the community. To support the HOA, members pay monthly dues which cover a variety of items including exterior maintenance, common utilities and long-term reserves for the eventual repair or replacement of large items such as roofs, sidewalks, painting and parking areas.
What is the advantage of becoming a member before the homes are built?
The advantage of joining a group early is that the sooner you enter the community, the more opportunity you have to be part of the design and planning. Early membership also gives you an earlier place in the order in which homes will be selected. Many groups offer a financial incentive for joining the project at the beginning through a discount applied to your home purchase price.
How do I sell my home if I decide to leave?
Any household can legally sell their property to anyone they choose. The HOA may maintain a “right of first refusal” which means that the seller must offer his or her home for purchase by the HOA or to an individual or individuals within the community before putting it on the open market. Many similar communities maintain a waiting list of persons interested in being informed if a home becomes available. Experience has shown that homes in these Elder Housing clusters have held their value and have appreciated faster than homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
Tell me about the optional shared meals.
Elder Housing complexes usually offer between two and three community meals per week in their Clubhouse. The meals are prepared by a team of two to four persons for however many eaters sign up for the meal in advance. Eating common meals is always voluntary. Residents are typically involved in meal preparation and/or cleanup once every five or six weeks. There is also variation in how the common meals are paid for, but you only pay for the meals you eat. Many residents feel that common meals are the glue that holds the community together and enjoy the camaraderie during meal preparation as much as the meal itself. Special food requirements are respected, although not every one of them will necessarily be accommodated at every meal.
How many homes will be in the cluster?
We expect to build from 25-30 homes at Prospect New Town plus a 3,000+ square foot clubhouse. The homes are expected to be two and three bedroom flats on one level to allow residents to age in place.
How much will the homes cost to purchase?
At this early stage, before any design has begun, it is difficult to estimate the cost of an individual home. We expect that when finished the Elder homes will be comparable to other newly-built attached housing at Prospect. Sometimes the home prices could even be 5-10% higher in cost because of the extensive common facilities, the high quality construction and the rich landscaping often selected by the future residents.
What about safety and security?
Because residents know almost all their neighbors before you move in, the Elder cluster will provide an excellent built-in neighborhood watch system. Someone who is not a resident is very easily recognized. Everyone helps protect and maintain the property when a resident is out of town often helping water a neighbor’s plants or walk their dog.
