State gets a boom in 55-plus housing

New housing restricted to residents 55 and over is surging in Massachusetts, a trend that builders say is a response to demand from retiring baby boomers who want smaller homes, neighbors their age, and such amenities as nearby walking trails or clubhouses.

A survey by the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, due to be released on Monday, found that at least 10,000 units for residents 55 and older are under construction or have been built over the last five years or so, and 14,000 more units are in the planning stages.

Known as ''active adult" or ''age-restricted" communities, the developments are particularly prevalent in suburban cities and towns where there's more open land available. In Hudson, 500 units of age-restricted housing spread across four developments have been approved, while only about 150 new traditional units are in the works. Developers in Marshfield plan to build 287 units, and at least 450 are possible in Dracut.

But age-restricted developments have raised concerns among state officials and some housing activists that towns are intentionally welcoming older residents instead of younger families that include school-age children who strain municipal budgets. In many communities, the cost of educating a child exceeds the taxes collected from the average homeowner.

''Communities are pushing the developers in that direction thinking it's going to have the least amount of impact," said Fred Habib, deputy director of the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Many town officials acknowledge that age-restricted housing does not add an immediate burden on the schools. But they note that young families may buy the homes vacated by older people who have chosen to move into the developments. They also point out that older residents incur some municipal costs -- though not nearly as expensive as schools -- such as town-run senior centers.

''From our standpoint, it's all about providing a mix of housing," said Lee Hartmann, director of planning and development in Plymouth, where the massive Pinehills development is slated to include about 900 age-restricted units out of about 3,000 total homes. ''I don't think there's anyone in the town who's antifamily, antichildren."

Based on the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association figures, along with state numbers, age-restricted homes in Massachusetts represented between 10 and 15 percent of the new housing between 2000 and 2004.

With 1.5 million Massachusetts residents over age 55, and about 78 million baby boomers nationwide, town officials and developers say communities and builders are simply paying attention to the needs and interests of the population. (Baby boomers are those people born between 1946 and 1964.) Many older residents want to move into smaller, more manageable homes, but stay close to their hometowns.

''They don't feel comfortable going down to Florida or Arizona," said Jane Marie O'Connor, who chairs the 50+ New England Housing Council for the National Association of Home Builders, and publishes a magazine called Mature Living Choices.

Dave Schreiner, vice president of active adult business development for Pulte Homes, one of the builders at the Pinehills, said that although some communities see age-restricted homes as a way to control school growth, they end up meeting a need.

''The reality is that's where the market is going," Schreiner said.

The Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, which conducted the statewide survey, is an affordable housing advocacy group. The report was authored by Bonnie Heudorfer, an association board member and housing consultant who conducted a series of interviews and visits with about 170 communities. The report focuses on communities in eastern and central Massachusetts and not on other types of senior housing, such as assisted living communities or nursing homes.

Aaron Gornstein, executive director of the association, stressed that his group recognizes the need for housing for older residents, and the report concludes that much of the early age-restricted housing has been successful.

But with so many new developments in the pipeline, he is concerned the market could be flooded with age-restricted units. That could lead to unsold units and developments not being completed. Gornstein said some developers could then seek to have age restrictions lifted, which could raise legal issues.

He also fears towns are offering developers a ''path of least resistance" by approving bylaws that make it easier to build age-restricted developments. ''We're concerned about the lack of housing options for families," he said.

Senior housing is allowed under the federal Fair Housing Act, said Bill Howell, who works for the office of fair housing and equal opportunity at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The act bars discrimination based on family status, race, color, religion, nationality, sex, or disabilities. It has an exemption for ''older persons," so long as either the development is occupied by people 62 or older, at least 80 percent of the housing includes at least one person 55 or over, or the complex is designed for seniors under a public program, he said.

Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said it is unfair to say that communities are pursuing age-restricted housing in an effort to keep young families out. ''They're interested in being able to serve well the kids who are in the community," he said.

Questions about the developments have been raised in some communities.

In Dracut, town officials have been warned by the state against approving any more age-restricted developments, said Glen Edwards, the assistant town manager and town planner.

The town has considered several age-restricted developments, most of which were filed under the state's Chapter 40B law, which requires a portion of the units to sell or rent at below-market rates. The state fears that seniors will be too well off to qualify for the homes.

In Northborough, Town Planner Kathy Joubert said the town has previously rejected proposals for age-restricted communities because of concerns about whether there was a market for them. The town has about 160 units in the works right now, along with 135 that were built about 20 years ago, Joubert said.