The LTSS Center worked with Generations United and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard to publish Healthier Lives Across Generations.
The LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston joined Generations United and the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University in publishing Healthier Lives Across Generations: A Blueprint for Intergenerational Living this fall.
The report is a call to action and a strategic plan focusing on the need for safe and sustainable housing that improves health and well-being among people with low or moderate incomes who have historically been excluded from affordable and accessible living options.
The outline and elements of the blueprint were created collaboratively during a national symposium held in the spring of 2024 at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Participants included leaders in housing, finance, and social services, as well as researchers and advocates. LTSS Center Co-Director Robyn Stone participated in compiling research on intergenerational housing that served as the basis for symposium discussions and the foundation of the blueprint.
The Blueprint for Intergenerational Living outlines strategies and recommends action steps in four key areas. The blueprint recommends:
- Research that demonstrates the health, social, and affordability benefits of intergenerational living.
- Communication about intergenerational living that resonates with various audiences, including older and younger members of diverse populations.
- Policies and funding mechanisms that encourage and support conditions for scaling the intergenerational housing model.
- Practice and design models that grow and adapt, maintain a sense of community as people move in and out, and promote connections across diverse groups of people with different experiences.
LeadingAge and Generations United published two earlier reports on intergenerational living: