ATLANTA - The number of people 65 and older living in metro Atlanta will more than triple in the next 24 years, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The wave, estimated at 917,000 people, is the result of a big number of aging baby boomers and a growing number of retirees flocking to Atlanta because of its amenities and climate. But some question whether Atlanta's housing market will be affordable enough for a swelling senior population.
Seniors on fixed incomes often can't afford a traditional neighborhood home and have problems with maintenance because of declining physical skills, said Kathryn Lawler, director of the Aging Atlanta program.
About one in four Atlanta seniors pays more than 35 percent of his or her income for housing, according to research by the Commission. And many seniors are not able to afford houses even in neighborhoods built for those 55 and older, where homes usually cost from $200,000 to $500,000.
That's why some developers, like Noel Khalil, are building housing for seniors who can't afford high rent. Khalil built the 132-unit Columbia Heritage Senior Residences in Atlanta with federal tax credits to keep rent affordable. The maximum rent for a two-bedroom unit there is $795 a month.
"What I am very concerned about is, as the tsunami of boomers age, I am not clear in my mind we will have enough housing for them," Khalil said.
A local nonprofit, Mercy Housing, is planning a 65-unit apartment complex for seniors in Chamblee. Ground hasn't been broken on the project yet, but the organization already has a list of 35 applicants.
Some of the counties in the state are beginning to respond to the housing demand by creating special zoning for senior housing. Cobb County was the first in the state to do so, hoping to make it easier to locate seniors' homes near transportation lines, shopping areas and traditional neighborhoods.
But some Cobb County residents argue that senior housing is too-high density for many neighborhoods and could create problems.
Tuesday
June 17th, 2025
10:18PM
