Boomer Shelter – the Zeitgeist is here

The zeitgeist (spirit of the times) is happening. There is a rising up of creativity we can see almost every day in the news. It has to do with the boomer parabolin generation coming to terms with how and where we are going to live as we grow old.

Most people I talk to in this age group do not want to move into retirement communities. The idea of moving to Del Webb like settings in the south like their snowbird parents does not sound attractive. They would like to stay independent as much as they can, retaining some control over their privacy and lives. and being part of a warm and friendly community.

Some of aging boomers think about eventually moving in with their adult children – if they have them that is and *if* they have good relations with them and *if* their children have room.

Some people are opting to stay in their own homes and are joining neighborhood support networks where they can both give and receive support as they age. Examples of these networks are the Village movement and Retirement Communities Without Walls (RCWW’s) which I have written about in earlier blog posts and will revisit.

Some are exploring moving to different countries as ex-pat’s where the costs of living and medical care are much more affordable than in the US. Some common countries older Americans are moving to are Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.

Many boomers are revisiting the lifestyle of shared or co-housing – in effect exploring a return to a communal lifestyle we saw in the 60’s but with perhaps with their own bathrooms and kitchens.  😉

Others are looking at the “tiny home” movement. This is not a new idea for humanity. Prior generations did not live in or aspire to the “MacMansions” of today. There are tiny homes on wheels, mobile homes, some that can be pulled up to large screened-in outdoor porches – the ideas run the gamut!

I haven’t seen a central curated site online where there are articles about and links to the exploding number of projects around the world that address the new housing movement. I will be posting those I see here over the coming weeks and months in a series called Boomer Shelter. Feel free to comment and send more.