Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aging In Place topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buncombe's Age-Friendly HOPE group weighs ADUs, publishes updated aging-in-place guide
Summary
Buncombe County's Age Friendly HOPE work group described outreach, an aging-in-place planning guide revised in 2024, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) outreach and other initiatives intended to help older adults stay in their homes and communities.
Billy Breed, Age Friendly coordinator for Buncombe County Health & Human Services, told the Affordable Housing Subcommittee on Aug. 5 that the HOPE work group focuses on outreach, policy advocacy and resources to support older residents who want to age in place.
“Age Friendly Buncombe County is housed within health and human services, specifically, aging and adult services,” Breed said. He said the county joined the World Health Organization/AARP network of age-friendly communities in 2017 and that the HOPE work group aligns with an Age Friendly Action Plan covering 2021–2024. The work group includes nonprofit and private partners, housing developers, occupational therapists, regional planning staff and volunteers.
Breed said the group's initiatives include an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) awareness effort, home repair coordination, and an updated aging-in-place planning guide that the work group revised in 2024. The workbook-style guide contains checklists and planning prompts for housing safety, outdoor environment, transportation, health and wellness, assistive technology and financial planning. Breed said the guide was adapted from a New River Valley model and that the HOPE work group is soliciting community feedback and updating resources.
The HOPE group also supported Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity's aging-in-place affordable homeownership model and cited a successful program in West Asheville in which single-level, universally designed townhomes were developed for adults age 55 and over. Breed said Habitat's model home won an international accessibility award and that the work group was featured on a PBS program covering aging in place.
On zoning and local policy, Breed said HOPE supported changes to Asheville's Unified Development Ordinance to allow cottages and landlots that can facilitate smaller, more affordable housing types; Breed noted that the change excludes the Legacy neighborhood and credited HOPE members for advocacy and letters of support.
When asked where the guide is posted, Breed said it is available on Buncombe County's Age Friendly web page. Subcommittee members expressed interest in using the HOPE work group's expertise as the county considers policy changes and home-repair priorities for older adults.
Ending: Committee members said they would consult the guide and the HOPE work group resources as they develop county housing strategies that affect older residents.
