30 | DEVELOPMENT WORDS |Margaret Wylde


BUSINESS Speak not of age


This article, the fourth in a series of how to create the best and most profi table communities and how to avoid making common mistakes, focuses on targeting the 50+ sector without focusing on the age of the consumer. Think more about the project as a straightforward business proposition and work hard to avoid slipping into ageism.


good looks and capabilities. The Peter Pan syndrome is rampant. Many studies have documented that we see ourselves as 10 to 15 years younger than our chronological age. Everyone, regardless of their age knows someone who is older. So, don’t build for the near-dead. Build for the active and the living instead. Age-qualifi ed active adult housing has some primary advantages: 1. People have the same schedules and time to get together. 2. Living close to others makes socialising easy. 3. Streets are predictable because no


M


ost of us live as if there is no tomorrow and no end to our youthfulness, energy,


children are playing near them. Most developed countries have


communities that provide housing and services to individuals who are 55+ years of age. The U.S., however, has led the way in developing and legalizing age- restricted communities and creating an industry of “senior housing.” There are many different terms


for communities that provide housing restricted or targeted to people who have reached a specific age. These include: age-restricted, age-targeted, age-oriented, age- qualified, and age-exclusive. Despite many differences, communities that target 50+ households can be categorised into


two groups: lifestyle and service- enriched. A lifestyle or experiential community is one whose purpose is to provide residential living with built-in conveniences and camaraderie. A service-enriched community


is usually a multi-family apartment community that provides services to people within their residence or specific areas of the community. Some service-enriched communities have detached or semi-detached houses in addition to apartments. The table opposite provides a rough guide to terms used to label communities and lists the housing, amenities and services provided in communities located in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. The age-qualifi ed


housing industry has evolved from its early beginnings of providing housing and services for widows and clergy. Unfortunately the focus on age and


the need for care continue to dominate our language yielding labels such as “seniors housing.” Age-qualifi ed communities worldwide continue to be labelled by the age of the people they serve as opposed to the lifestyle, superb quality of life, conveniences and services they provide.


So ... it is little wonder that the


“Focus on the life to be lived, the friendships that will be formed, as well as the opportunities”


penetration rate of this housing has not increased despite the fact that the communities have become more beautiful, have signifi cant amenities, and the same level of staff and catering of a fi ve-star hotel.


Be happy | and positive - sell an active and fulfi lled life to your target market, and remember that golf doesn’t always appeal


Lifestyle, & experiential communities Positioning and marketing should focus on the life to be lived, the friendships that will be formed ... as well as the opportunities just outside your door. Even if a lifestyle community has health care services, marketing should highlight the good life to be lived. Marketing healthcare and nursing attracts customers experiencing limitations and diminished health. Ageist marketing uses words thought to appeal to the 50+ market sector such as: calm, quiet, relaxing, care-free, and worry-free. Developers must create


www.opp.org.uk | JUNE 2011


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