As baby boomers age, so will the increased demand for housing units with universal design, according to a new report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

For remodelers, 2035 might be the year that aging-in-place remodeling will be front and center. A new report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies says that by 2035 the number of households with a disability will increase by 76% to reach 31.2 million.

Over the next 20 years, the population of those 65 and older is expected to increase from 48 million to 79 million. And many of those 79 million will want to stay right where they are, or move in with family. The report goes on to say that by 2035, “17 million older adult households will have at least one person with a mobility disability, for whom stairs, narrow corridors and doorways, and traditional bathroom layouts will pose challenges to safety and independence.”

Many of these older adults will not only need a place to stay, but may need long-term care over the next two decades. And Importantly for remodelers, JCHS’s report finds that with the uptake in the number of people aging, the home will increasingly become a site for long-term care. According to the report, nearly 70% of older adults require some form of long-term care in later life, with the majority provided in the home. And importantly for remodelers, the trend of in-home care is likely to increase over the coming years.

This growth means there will be an increased demand for housing units with universal design elements such as zero-step entrances, single-floor living, and wide hallways and doorways–features that aren’t included in the majority of today’s housing stock.

From JCHS:
Housing design features that increase accessibility can allow those with mobility disabilities much more independence in the home, while assistive devices and technologies are increasingly able to improve safety and make it easier to conduct household activities. Universal design elements such as zero-step entrances into the home, single-floor living, and wide halls and doorways that can accommodate a wheelchair are particularly important, as are electrical controls reachable from a wheelchair and lever-style handles on faucets and doors. However, only 1% of the current housing stock offers all five of these features.

However, the comfort of staying in one’s home might be an out-of-reach luxury for many. The report also concluded that long-term care in the home is beyond the reach of middle-and-moderate-income homeowners as well as most renters. “Right now, more than 19 million older adults live in unaffordable or inadequate housing, and that problem will only grow worse in the next two decades as our population ages,” says Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation, which provided funding for the report.

The report continues,
Paying for just two months of a home health aide or assisted living would exhaust the savings of a typical older renter (whose median assets are $6,150). With non-housing assets of $103,200, the median older owner could afford over 2 years of a home health aide or assisted living care without dipping into home equity. Yet more than 9 million older homeowners have less than $50,000 in non-housing assets.

This poses a qunadry for remodelers, as many older adults can’t afford the vital work needed on their homes. The report concluded that it is the public sector that must provide tax credits and other financial incentives that will help homeowners and landlords pay for these modifications as the baby boomer generation ages into retirement.