City staff outline Age‑Inclusive Strategic Plan and plan a home‑sharing pilot for older adults

Eden Bailey, division manager of Older Adult Services in the City of Boulder’s Housing and Human Services Department, told the Housing Advisory Board on June 24 that the city is developing an Age‑Inclusive Strategic Plan to respond to projected demographic shifts and rising needs among older residents.

Bailey said demographer projections drive the effort: Boulder County is expected to see declines in younger cohorts while the 60–79 population grows about 22% and the 80‑plus cohort could increase by roughly 202%. “The final plan will be presented to City Council in early 2027 with the request to adopt it as a city priority,” Bailey said.

The plan centers on four domains: housing, transportation, community living and support services. Bailey said subject‑matter experts will draft goals, actionable strategies and measurable outcomes tied to those domains. Engagement already under way includes multiple community conversations (five planned in the City of Boulder) and analysis of existing surveys: staff cited the 2022 Community Assessment Survey of Older Adults, which indicated 92% of Boulder respondents rated availability of affordable, quality housing as fair or poor and 85% rated availability of accessible housing as fair or poor.

Staff provided a quick inventory and pipeline snapshot: Bailey said the city contains about 1,700 age‑restricted units (variously 55+, 62+ or 65+), roughly 670 permanently affordable units protected by deed restrictions, and more than 1,000 market‑rate units serving older adults. She also highlighted local projects in the pipeline, including a 60‑unit expansion proposed at Presbyterian Manor and Boulder Housing Partners’ Alpine Balsam project, which Bailey said would add roughly 55 rental units, with 14 dedicated to older adults with disabilities.

After reviewing earlier prototyping work — including ideas such as city‑facilitated leasebacks or education about reverse mortgages — Bailey told the board staff shifted toward a home‑sharing model after community feedback. “We tested the idea of city‑sponsored leasebacks and reverse mortgages and received vocal opposition to city involvement,” she said. Instead, staff plan to pursue a vendor‑run home‑sharing program that would pair vetted hosts and seekers, provide background checks and mediation, and emphasize social‑work supports. Bailey said staff are identifying funding and intend to issue an RFP to hire a vendor “later this year,” though the meeting record showed some uncertainty about the exact RFP timeline.

Board members asked about models and safeguards. Bailey and other participants described two vendor types: national platform‑style services and Colorado‑based organizations that foreground social‑work supports and in‑person screening. Members raised implementation questions — caps on room rent, liability and landlord‑tenant law complications, mediation for roommate disputes, and supports for matches involving higher‑need older adults. One example discussed: a cited cap of about $800 per month for a shared room in some programs.

The board also discussed design and accessibility: members noted many smaller units and townhomes still include stairs, making single‑floor living or elevator access important for long‑term aging in place. Participants recommended that staff track accessibility metrics as part of plan outcomes.

Bailey said the final Age‑Inclusive Strategic Plan will be available to city departments and community partners to inform departmental planning and invited the HAB to follow home‑sharing development and RFP outcomes as the program progresses.

What’s next: staff will continue community conversations and reconvene the consultation committee to review the draft plan; the board requested a progress update roughly one year from the presentation and asked to be notified when an RFP is issued and a vendor is selected.