A new Reno housing complex will pair five young women who transitioned out of foster care with five senior citizens in need of affordable housing.
Affordable, intergenerational housing communities have been a growing trend since the 1990s. In Portland, Oregon, former foster youth living in dorm-style housing can pop into a nearby community of foster families and senior citizens for some Grandma love. In Easthampton, Massachusetts, young people and seniors meet for dance and yoga classes, writing workshops and bike rides. In Washington, D.C., new moms who have transitioned out of foster care receive tutoring and share communal dinners with the elders living among them.
But more recently, similar models have been built for another often-overlooked group: Youth who have transitioned out of foster care and are living on their own, usually without financial and emotional support.
In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill promoting intergenerational housing developments for senior citizens, caregivers, or transition age youths. The new law backed by nonprofit housing developers, mayors and the AARP expands low-income tax credits, offers incentives to developers and clarifies previously restrictive housing laws so that the projects can more easily be built.
Such housing models nationwide have dual aims: soothing the loneliness of often-isolated seniors and youth who find themselves alone in the world, with limited income. They also solve deeper social problems that arise when these needs are not met people both old and young ending up on the streets, or hospitalized, suffering both physically and emotionally.
The Reno facility, set to break ground next month, is one of the latest examples. Dubbed the Gen Den, the 10-unit building will house residents who will pay $500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. The project aims to be open in about a year.
Monica DuPea, founder and executive director of the Nevada Youth Empowerment Project that will be sending its graduates to Gen Den, said the goal is not just to provide housing. It also aims to build a mutually beneficial community to help the young women with less-concrete needs.
Residents will be able to tap on seniors for knowledge, wisdom, an ear, and just some guidance and support, DuPea said. Whereas seniors can tap on youth for their youthfulness, like being able to run across the street to the store or get up and change the light bulb.
As the pandemic continues on its grim march, the project couldnt come at a better time for Reno. Home prices here have reached record highs and, according to the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, the state is roughly 80,000 units short of meeting its affordable housing goals.
Amy Jones, executive director of the Reno Housing Authority, which is partnering with the youth program on the Gen Den, said rental prices for one-bedroom apartments in Reno have nearly doubled in the last 15 years, from about $650 to well over $1,000. Combined with a low vacancy rate, it is extremely hard for low-income individuals to find apartments and units that are affordable, Jones said.
The project fills a problematic hole in the safety net. While preference for low-income housing in the region is now granted to the elderly, people with disabilities, families, Washoe County residents, and veterans, Jones said, homeless youth tend to fall in this gap where were not able to help them.
The benefits go far beyond affordable rent, project proponents maintain. Homes for multiple generations of kin can help children and young adults thrive, said Ana Beltran, co-director of the nonprofit Generations Uniteds National Center on Grandfamilies. For transition-age youth, connections with relatives or a network of support increases their self-worth, their identity, their ability to navigate life.
Not all foster youth have kin to lean on, however. Thats where housing initiatives like the Gen Den aim to make a difference in young lives.
Tom Berkshire, president and executive director of Generations of Hope a nonprofit based in Springfield, Illinois said communities like these provide a sense of stability. Communal parties and volunteer activities help the residents form authentic connections.
The seniors basically provide a quality social service, and theyre there all the time, Berkshire said. Thats much better than seeing a caseworker once a month and having him or her say, You should do this or that and look for problems rather than solutions.
The idea for intentional, intergenerational communities for societys most vulnerable began decades ago in Illinois, when sociologist Brenda Krause Eheart was researching better alternatives for children in the states overwhelmed child welfare system. In response to her findings, Generations of Hope was formed to create a diverse intergenerational neighborhood to support families of adopted foster children.
They opened their first community called Hope Meadows in Rantoul, Illinois in 1994. Today, the nonprofit has consulted with seven communities that are currently operating, and 12 more that are in development across eight states. Residents range from adoptive and foster families, to grandparents, veterans and disabled people, but few specifically serve transition-age youth, the target population for Renos Gen Den.
New Meadows, the Portland housing complex for transition-age youth, encourages residents to visit the nearby intergenerational complex Bridge Meadows for bonding activities. Though they dont live in the same complex, the young people still need Grandma love, said Executive Director Derenda Schubert.
The model helps young people whove been mistreated by the adults in their lives find trust again, and build authentic relationships. The seniors have the time and the ability to share their wisdom, whether its, Dont make the mistakes I made, or Heres a route you might want to try, Schubert said. Or they can just be a sounding board, somebody to give you a birthday card, someone to celebrate that you got the job or to cry because the partner broke up with you just people in your life.
When Gen Den opens in Reno, former foster youth residents will not only get help finding jobs and developing life skills, theyll have the opportunity to build relationships with other adults as well even when life gets messy and complicated.
Personal growth comes from the training, the opportunities to practice, by somebody who you respect and look up to giving you constructive feedback and really building upon that, DuPea said. Its real-relationship based.
Once the housing is built, graduates of the Nevada Youth Empowerment Project which serves homeless young women leaving foster care will be eligible to apply for a unit. The young residents are expected to cycle in and out of the intergenerational housing, but there will not be time limits on how long anyone can remain at Gen Den.
Nina Shapey, 28, who graduated from the youth program in 2015 and now works as a liaison between the young women and the staff, said Gen Den is an opportunity she would have loved to have.
At 21 years old, Shapey had aged out of foster care and was working more than 40 hours a week while going to school full time at Truckee Meadows Community College. Earning just $8.75 an hour and paying $1,000 a month in rent, she could barely make ends meet.
But its not just the affordability of the Gen Den that appeals to her; its the reciprocal relationships.
Somebody explained it to me like this, and it stuck with me: We come into this world needing to be taken care of, Shapey said. Our parents are supposed to take care of us, change our diapers, feed us, raise us, all of that kind of stuff. We go out of this world needing to be taken care of. Our elderly have worked their whole lives. They have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge. It doesnt take that much to be kind or to just be helpful towards somebody.
Editor's note: This article by freelancer reporter Colleen Connelly was co-published at The Imprint, an independent daily news outlet focused on the nation's child welfare and youth justice systems. The Imprint is a publication of Fostering Media Connections, a nonprofit organization that seeks to lead conversations about children, youth and families in America.
Colleen Connolly is a Minneapolis-based independent journalist who writes about child welfare in Minnesota for The Imprint. She also writes about education, native rights and immigration. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, Smithsonian magazine and The American Prospect, among others. She is a graduate of DePaul University and New York Universitys Global Journalism program.
Read the rest here:
- How alternative communities have evolved from pacifist communes to a solution to the ageing population - The Conversation - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Georgia Power Announced T. Dallas Smith named to Georgia ... - All On Georgia - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- CSRWire - Thought Leaders Gather for Critical Community ... - CSRwire.com - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- EPA centers diversity with first-ever environmental youth advisory council - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Rigor, Relevance, & Reality: Education Collaboratory at Yale ... - Yale School of Medicine - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Gaza: UN experts call on international community to prevent ... - ReliefWeb - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Fathering Together Announces Acquisition of City Dads Group - PR Web - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Company to pay over $50 million in largest environmental lawsuit settlement in D.C. history: Health risks to the public - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Student death is now part of the routine at Middlebury - The Middlebury Campus - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- We welcomed an abandoned dog into our family. But dog dumping ... - Kansas Reflector - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The National Climate Assessment Goes Woke - Dallasweekly - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- A Conversation about History, Race and the Meaning of True ... - Philanthropy Roundtable - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The color of community | WORLD - WORLD News Group - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Kindness has good benefits | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Georgia Power Foundation awards grant for BIG Edge ... - Georgia Southern University Newsroom - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- "Chilling": Maryland lawmakers threaten to cut aid to immigrants ... - Salon - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Three water options come with high cost | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Welcome to the Team, Kintan! | Office of Immigrant Affairs - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Recognized for Its DEI Efforts - DSNews.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Named 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion' and ... - Fannie Mae - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Focused on progress - Weekly Challenger - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Good Ancestors and Messengers of Hope - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Make it intentional': 3-N-1 Trinity Services helps young ... - Longview News-Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Latinistas' is the World's First All-Latina Fashion Doll Line - hiplatina.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- CSU Releases Findings of Three-Year Research Study on NAVA'S ... - InvestorsObserver - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Press Ganey's Physician of the Year on a cardiology 'game changer ... - Becker's Hospital Review - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- City Officials Join Summer Campers and Local Artists to Kick Off ... - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Merrill and Linda Hutchinson on Communication for a Summer of ... - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Feathers installed as Rotary District Governor | News, Sports, Jobs - The Inter-Mountain - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Theatre at St. Luke's: All Shook Up to The Little Mermaid - Orlando Sentinel - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Culture wars rage on, forcing marketers to decide whether to ... - Marketing Dive - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Some thoughts on governance of the local variety - Resilience - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 988 is saving lives, but more awareness and support needed - Alton Telegraph - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- The Limitations of Eco-Anxiety | Atmos - Atmos Magazine - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Welcome Back: How JAPER Becomes Real for the People in Brazil ... - Just Security - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Now Is the Time to Go All In on Heat Pumps - Rocky Mountain Institute - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) celebrates 40th ... - Elizabethton.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Discrimination or bureaucracy? A Jewish community in Germany ... - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- AAP Rules And Guidelines For How To Keep Kids Safe From Cars - Fatherly - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Pine County Sheriff's Report and Jail Roster | Communities ... - Pine City Pioneer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Is a Hanan Ben Ari concert the solution for Jewish divisions? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- What the LGBT wedding website Supreme Court ruling means for ... - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Out at CHM hosts its first 2023 event - Windy City Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 'The time is now': Longtime friends launch support organization for ... - The Lawrence Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- La Vergne Receives Municipal League Award for Excellence in Fire ... - rutherfordsource.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- UW System offers status update on its five-year strategic plan (day 1 ... - University of Wisconsin System - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Hawaii Native Krystal Ka'ai Tackles Equity And Anti-Asian Hate For ... - Honolulu Civil Beat - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- News & events / News - Diocese of York - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Businesses that address social or environmental problems often ... - The Conversation - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- EFOC: Is This Happening To Me Because I'm Black? Combating ... - Essence - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Stations Telling Diverse Stories With Sponsored Segments from ... - Next TV - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings ... - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Bungie weighs in on the current argument raging through the ... - PC Gamer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Myanmar: Dire humanitarian and human rights situation ... - OHCHR - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Invest in our public schools - EdNC - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- N.Y. stands up for LGBTQ equality: Having Pride 12 months a year - New York Daily News - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NASCAR, Bubba Wallace bring 'Bubba's Block Party' to Chicago - Daytona Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Fifth Third's 2022 Sustainability Report Shares Progress on Priorities ... - InvestorsObserver - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Top LGBTQ+ Financial Influencers to Learn from in 2023 - Investopedia - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- 'Retirement is so traditional,' try periodic retirement to figure out ... - Morningstar - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people brings federal ... - New Mexico In Depth - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The Astounding Power of Intentional Productivity (And How You Can ... - The Good Men Project - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action means for UL schools - Louisiana Radio Network - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Community managers find the path for developers and players to ... - VentureBeat - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The EPA was ready to clean up 'Cancer Alley.' Then it backed off. - Grist - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What Bidenomics Means for Workers and Families - UpNorthNews - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The vital link between a healthy press and our republic - The Fulcrum - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Death, Drag, and Decadence shows off the queer joy of DnD - Wargamer - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Israeli Expats in the U.S.: 'I Speak English, but I Don't Speak American' - Tablet Magazine - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NTSB hearings end with talks on tanker conditions, fire's aftermath - Marietta Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Can 'Friendship Clubs' Cure the Loneliness Created by Remote Work? - The San Francisco Standard - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- 'Men in Blazers' Podcast Comes to Higher Ground to Talk Vermont ... - Seven Days - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mindfulness, breathwork expert preaches value of slow living to Black and brown communities - Yahoo News - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Idaho's physician shortage is here. Here's what we can do about it. - Idaho Capital Sun - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Awards Ceremony Shines Spotlight on Caltech's Trailblazers in ... - Caltech - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The African American Museum of Iowa Announces Juneteenth ... - River Cities Reader - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- US Supreme Court Rules Against Striking Drivers Who Abandoned ... - Engineering News-Record - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Future of the Thomaston Green is Green (or should be) - PenBayPilot.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Elephant in the Ethernet Port - City Journal - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- (Opinion) Nurturing diversity is good for kids, schools and NH - New Hampshire Business Review - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]