Addressing Senior Housing Shortages

In 2016, West Virginia was officially the second oldest state in the country. At that time Woodlands and the Randolph County Housing Authority conducted a needs assessment in Randolph County.

Through funding from the Housing Assistance Council we were able to conduct this study, along with roundtables, surveys and focus groups throughout the community to find out what the needs were and how we could begin to address them.

Studies showed that we were the oldest predominately rural state in the country. And that, according to Woodlands Executive Director Dave Clark, “In the last five years, we have gained almost 350 senior households in Randolph County. We only have 11,000 households to begin with, so that is a significant number. That number is going to grow exponentially in the next coming years.”

Projections show that by 2035 those over 65 years of age will be the biggest demographic in our county.

While housing was one of the most often-repeated concerns there were some other surprising issues that came out of that survey. Access to healthy, fresh food, was a big issue for seniors and many of them also said they would walk more if they could do so safely and if someone walked with them.

Clark said one of the most exciting things to come from the study was the idea of aging in place.

“It has moved beyond the idea of growing old in that house which you have been in for several decades and thinking more about how you grow old in the community in which you live,” he said. “The Housing Authority has taken the initiative and put forth a ground-breaking effort to keep people in their homes and keep them healthy in a cost-effective way.”

Woodlands continues to design projects intended to address shortfalls in the rental and single-family home market. The rental market throughout West Virginia is shrinking because the housing stock is so old. This is difficult for everyone, but the effects are felt even more by those whose incomes fall below the area median.  By pulling in subsidies from various sources, we are able to provide quality rental units at affordable rates.

In other, often urban, areas for-profit developers can play this role but in the rural setting it is difficult for a for-profit business to make the numbers work.