DrUrbanPolicy

As some of you know, aside from my day job developing policy and research, I am also a president of a homeowners association - specifically a multi-building condominium association.  I've been on the board for years, and I enjoy the fact that it keeps me honest - although I am looking at the wide national policy lens in the daytime, I have to face the day-to-day realities of the smallest local government in the evenings.  While I am the lead author of AARP's policy on housing issues and I am responsible for the policy direction of the American Planning Association's Planning and the Black Community Division, I am also heading up a homeowners association in an area that's been hit hard by the Great Recession.  That means that I need to think at the 30,000 foot level, but I have to keep a foot on the ground at the same time. The latest example of this was Monday night (thanks to my TiVo, I didn't have t...

Mark your calendars! My AARP Colleague Jana Lynott and I will be giving a webinar titled "Housing and Transportation for the Boomers and Beyond" for the American Planning Association's webinar series - This Friday, September 28 at 1pm ET. Anyone can sign up, and it's free! To register, go to: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/890800882 For more on APA's webinar series, go to http://www.utah-apa.org/webcasts Tell a friend, and I'll see you there!

Hello everyone.  I'd like to hear your thoughts about any new or revised policies that you think that AARP should have in the area of Livable Communities - including the areas of Land Use, Housing and Transportation.   AARP's livable communities policies are intended to create communities that are safe and secure, provide affordable, appropriate housing; adequate transportation, and supportive community features and services. Once in place, these resources enhance personal independence, allow residents to age in place, and foster residents’ engagement in the community’s civic, economic, and social life. The new AARP Public Policy Institute Livable Communities Website  has all of the current policies, and the entire AARP Policy Book , is available online as well. Please post any thoughts in a comment.  Thanks!

Thanks for being a follower of DrUrbanPolicy! August was a slow month for posts, in part because my AARP team has been working on a newly redesigned website for AARP's Livable Communities policies and research. For being loyal readers of DrUrbanPolicy, I am offering you a sneak preview of the newly relaunched AARP Public Policy Institute Livable Communities Homepage - it is just finished and now on the web! Go to www.aarp.org/ppi/liv-com for policies, research and resources that can help policymakers and advocates to create communities that work for people of all ages, incomes, and physical abilities, with a special focus on improving the ability of older adults to age in place. The official announcement comes later this week, but feel free to check it out today and let me know what you think.  Read below for a description of the new site.

When I received an invitation to a housing policy event, it inspired several thoughts.  First, I was glad to see housing getting some attention at all - I haven't heard either of the major presidential candidates mention housing in a while, and it is an important issue that affects every American in one way or another.  Then, I read the invitation closely and wished that the focus was broader. These discussions often focus on two things: the hit to the economy from the housing crisis and the loss of wealth to current homeowners.  These are two interesting and important questions, but "housing" is a much bigger topic. Housing is the largest asset for many homeowners, but it is not just that: On the negative side of the ledger,    housing costs are often the biggest monthly expense for homeowners and renters of all ages .  Housing is much more complex than a simple calculation of expenditures compared to asset growth...

Yesterday's AARP PPI Solutions Forum: "The Foreclosure Crisis - Ending the Nightmare for Older Americans " did two things: it introduced the new report that I discussed in an earlier post, and it had an intriguing panel discussion.  I had the rare opportunity to sit in the audience and listen to the panel, while simultaneously live-tweeting the event on Twitter .  While I have enjoyed speaking at similar events, Monday's experience was a fun one, as I could see what people on Twitter liked during the event and I was able to see and hear others make important points on the panel.  I'll share those highlights and a few of my own thoughts in this post. (The forum video is available online ) AARP Policy SVP Susan Reinhard welcomed the crowd and Lori Trawinski introduced the report. Then, Jane Bryant Quinn moderated a panel that included: Jim Carr of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition David John of the Heritage Foundation Janis Bowdler of the Nation...

This morning was AARP's Solutions Forum: "The Foreclosure Crisis - Ending the Nightmare for Older Americans, " at the Columbus Club in Union Station.  Panelists discussed the conclusions and implications of the recently released report, "Nightmare on Main Street: Older Americans and the Mortgage Market Crisis."   While AARP released "A First Look: Older Adults and the Mortgage Crisis" in 2008 (the first study to look at age differences in the growing foreclosure crisis) this new report is the first one that looks at the progression of the foreclosure crisis for older adults. Debra Whitman, AARP Policy EVP discusses her reactions to the report in this AP video:  A few findings from Lori Trawinski's new study grabbed my attention: