Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart providing adequate housing, necessary amenities, and closeness to other elderly individuals for social needs. Glenda Laws, from Pennsylvania State University, focused on the reciprocity between age relations and the built environment, She concentrated on the segregation of the elderly and intergenerational conflicts. The young and the old are dependents, This stereotype is presented and expressed by the separation of generations. This age space shaped the communities and the supply and demand of housing as well as social services. Children start their lives dependent upon their parents, as those children become parents and old age sets in, those parents are dependent upon their children at some point. Laws argued that ageism is comparable to classism, sexism, and racism because they have built ina social geography of modern cities, Ageism is an, “ideology that ascribes certain attributes and abilities to people, young or old, simply because of their age.”!7 Laws concluded that attitudes towards the aging and the already aged have resulted in a variety of built environments. Some of these built environments indeed segregated the elderly, are not hospitable to the elderly, and may reflect a social view that segregation of generations is acceptable. The federal government in 1949 introduced urban renewal legislation.® These funds were provided for the clearing of “urban blight” and the rebuilding of the inner cores of cities across the country. Renewal programs often involved “the purchase and 17 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, 38 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart demolition of residential properties in order to make way for, initially, new housing projects."19 Several programs were under the urban renewal umbrella. Many of the programs were aimed at “providing hou 1g for low income households." In 1956, federal legislation was amended to include exceptional provisions for low-income elderly who had formerly been left out from public housing. This change allowed widowed elderly to have access to federally subsidized housing" In 1959 the Section 202 program, which allowed federal loans to non-profit organizations to provide housing for the elderly or the handicapped, and section 231, which provided mortgage insurance of both non-profit and for-profit organizations, was introduced. These programs did not explicitly produce public housing; the monies went to private organizations. As a result, non-profit organizations built apartment complexes that were occupied exclusively by the elderly. The result has been the segregation of the elderly into particular high-rise apartments, often, though, found in the inner city. Between urban renewal implementation in 1949 and 1988, about two hundred thousand units were built under the program, Seniors were also eligible for rent subsidizes in Section 8 housing, a program also sponsored by the federal government. 19 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693 20 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693 21 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no, 4 (1993): 672-693 2 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Nevertheless, aside from the meager efforts at subsidized homes for the elderly urban renewal reflects the ageism that permits the postwar phase of urban development. 23 Denver's Active Retirement Communities Windsor Gardens was a haven for the elderly. Windsor Gardens was billed by local media as the nation’s first “sunshine village” outside of other sunshine states like Arizona, California, and Florida. Each apartment was owned by its occupant. The purchaser had to be at least fifty-years old and with no children under the age of seventeen. Owners of any Windsor Gardens apartment could look forward to a future shopping center, a medical center, a nursing home, a guesthouse for visitors, an office building for tenants who continued to operate businesses, a number of restaurants, and a lounge. These amenities were offered because the elderly eventually needed access to them. Windsor Gardens was a huge success; in less than five years, it developed into one of the largest condominium apartments and recreation complexes in America.”5 This complex had thirty-three major structures, a planned tower of units, a horseshoe court, a four-hundred-seat auditorium, and many other accommodating amenities. Windsor Garden’s developer Werner Livingston assured prospective buyers to take a greater interest in the community. The 23 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society's Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693 24 “$40 Million Sunshine Village For ‘Mature Folks’ Dedicated, Rocky Mountain News, October 28, 1962 25 Willard Haselbush, “Windsor Gardens—A Success Story,” Denver Post, August 7, 1967 9Oldsters: Building Setter Communities for the Young at Heart plan that Livingston created for Windsor Gardens needed to please, accommodate, and assure buyers that their new community would last for decades.26 Male and female residents never had to worry about outdoor chores at Windsor Gardens. Lt. Col. Richard F. Hurd and his wife Evelyn were the first residents at Windsor Gardens.”” Mr. Hurd was thrilled to be living at Windsor Gardens where he would not have to “shovel snow anymore,”26 These elderly individuals would never have to worry about the daily life chores of a homeowner. The supporters of Windsor Gardens had to promote a life style shift, and the idea of not having to mow the lawn or shovel snow was appealing to prospective buyers. The buyer owned this home without any of the “homeowner chores of grass cutting, watering, snow shoveling, roof repairing and maintenance.”®? “Friendship, freedom, security and fun"s° were qualities seniors looked for in quality apartment living. ‘The value of space and freedom went hand in hand at Windsor Gardens, “[h]ow can we live here for so little?" was a phrase often heard. 31 The Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post published all of the promotional materials to hype10 up retired living; prospective residents sought out a retirement community for quality of life standards. One resident, Mrs. Sethaler moved there with her husban 1969, Although she was enthusiastic, she thought that her husband wanted her to settle in a good place before he died. Mrs, Sethaler’s husband probably knew that his wife would be embraced by a support system. 26 Windsor Gardens still exists today. The retirement lifestyle community is still a success after fifty years, 27 "Windsor Gardens Gets First Residents,” Rocky Mountain News, December 6, 1962 28 “Windsor Gardens Gets First Residents,” Rocky Mountain News, December 6, 1962 29 "$40 Million Sunshine Village For ‘Mature Folks’ Dedicated, Rocky Mountain News, October 28, 1962 30 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 31 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 32 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983, 10Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Widowed elderly were welcome at Windsor Gardens, and being there offered them a support system of “tight knit friends.”33 Values like a support system and a close group of friends were ideal qualities that showed consumers of the media just how astonishing retired living was. Future residents expected to purchase a Windsor Gardens apartment anywhere from approximately eleven-thousand dollars to seventeen-thousand dollars. Included in the package was a p fate patio. Three-hundred-and-thirty condominium townhouses and apartments were on a one-hundred-four acre park-like setting completed with a lake and trap-guarded nine-hole golf course, swimming pool and a community theater. An apartment was a downsize for any homeowner, but the “young at heart” did not miss their daily household routines. Promoters and supporters of Windsor Gardens cut outall of the traditional male chores from retirement living. Women in independent retirement. ‘communities still had their traditional household chores because no personal care service was offered by the community staf, Windsor Gardens held twenty five hundred apartments located on a formally functional dairy farm approximately eighteen minutes from downtown Denver. The forty- million dollar village for ‘mature elderly’ was a planned development of air-conditioned deluxe apartments that were already being sold before the grounds were dedicated. Windsor Gardens’ condominium development had exactly what middle-class elderly were looking for in Colorado. Residents were a typical group of “good sturdy middle class."85 The use of middle class was to draw in prospective buyers, and to emphasize that Windsor 33 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 3440 Million Sunshine Village For ‘Mature Folks’ Dedicated, Rocky Mountain News, October 28, 1962 35 “Windsor Gardens: An {dea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 uwOldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Gardens was an active community, not just a place for retirees. A resident since 1970, Arthur Gaeth said, “[I]¢’s a friendly and mixed lot here,"** The included: business people, accountants, doctors, lawyers, educators, salespersons’ media people and ranchers.37 Apartment o ners paid anywhere from thirty-four dollars to fifty dollars a month, depending on the size of the apartment, for management and services. The fees ultimately covered taxes, insurance, water, heat, exterior maintenance and community club membership. These monthly maintenance fees would be considerably lower than the average homeowner would have to pay on a monthly basis. Each apartment was built in units of eight to thirty two, Developers arranged units in landscape geometric patterns, architectural styles were of contemporary, provincial, and California design.%® Livingston, Winder Garden's developer used California designs because he did not want to miss any opportunities to attract potential buyers. In October 1962, Denver's newly planned Windsor Gardens announced an activities director Mrs, Brandt. Her job was to design social activities for the elderly residents who “met special qualifications."®° “This isn't just a place for retired people who want to vegetate,” Mrs. Brandt told the Denver Post. “{IJn fact an advantage of Windsor Gardens over [other] communities is that the different age and interest groups...stimulate each other.”4° Non-supporters argued that elderly apartment developments cut off the residents from the “normal hustle and bustle of the outside community.” *1Windsor Gardens was outside of Denver's urban core, but easy access to Downtown Denver was a main selling 36 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 37 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 38 “Windsor Gardens Gets First Residents,” Rocky Mountain News, December 6, 1962 39 “Complex Will Have Activities Director,” Denver Post, October 22, 1962 40“Complex Will Have Activities Director,” Denver Post, October 22, 1962 “Complex Will Have Activities Director,” Denver Post, October 22, 1962 2Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart point for developers and the media, Arguably, Mrs. Brandt was hired to avoid this sort of sealed off situation of the residents. Emphasis was ultimately on what the residents wanted, rather than some preconceived notion of what they ought to be doing. This was the ideal balance between human contact and privacy for elderly individuals in the 1960s in Denver Colorado, Eden Manor was “apartment living for our oldsters,”*? A fourteen-story structure at W. 32d Ave and Julian Street differed from Windsor Gardens. Eden Manor was built more like a typical apartment structure with “individual balconies, carpeted halls, and comfortable recreation areas.”** Eden Manor’s purpose was to “provide the city’s citizens with living units within their budgets and to provide them companionable places in which to live, make new friends and to entertain the old ones,” Robert Boucher, a pioneer in the field, traced the history of this newest housing idea, He said that it started out in 1956 with a Federal Housing Authority ruling that made money available for multiple units built by non-profit groups.*5 A Rocky Mountain News article on Eden Manor stated, “Denver today (1962), has more apartments for senior citizens than any other city in the country.”*® The Presbyterian Hospital Assox tion of Colorado operated Park Manor on a non- profit, non-sectarian basis, This six-story structure was financed under Federal Housing Administration provisions granting mortgage loans to non-profit groups that built housing facilities for the elderly.47 #2 “Apartment Living for our Oldsters,” Rocky Mountain News, November 3, 1962 *8 “Apartment Living for our Oldsters,” Rocky Mountain News, November 3, 1962 “4 “Apartment Living for our Oldsters," Rocky Mountain News, November 3, 1962 48 “Apartment Living for our Oldsters,” Rocky Mountain News, November 3, 1962 46 “Apartment Living for our Oldsters,” Racky Mountain News, November 3, 1962 “7 “Apartments for Elderly Set to Open,” Denver Post, November 14, 1959 3BOldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart When Park Manor opened, State and city officials were present at the grand opening of the private residence for elderly citizens. Park Manor was set to have one-hundred- thirty-eight units and was designed to provide modern and comfortable surroundings for active men and women above the age of sixty-five. “* Park Manor was approximately a two- million dollar structure. The private residence for the elderly was the work of O'Neil Ford. and Carl Gross Jr. The Gross-Ford firm designed several buildings costing a total of twenty million dollars in the state of Texas.*? In Park Manor, outstanding architectural touches included carved wood, specially designed hardware and special lighting fixtures. In order to draw in potential buyers, developers and the media had to advertise high quality living, Park Manor was “six floors of beautifully appointed hotel-type apartments."*? Located at E. 19" Avenue and High Street, this lavish elderly community opened the Saturday before November 16, 1959. Park Manor was the most elaborate and expensive retirement community in Denver. It was the only retirement community that offered and advertised for “full and normal lives and engagement in cultural and educational activities." Park Manor developers used the idea of culture and educational activities to. draw in a mixture of residents and not just a homogenous mix of elderly people. Each floor had a lounge room with a television, plus a reading room and a sitting room. There was also set to be separate rooms for hobbies, such as sewing, crafts, reading, cards and other games. There was a library on each floor as well? The dining room and the central lounge 46" Apartments for Elderly Set to Open,” Denver Post, November 14, 1959 49 *Top Flight Architect Designed Park Manor,” Denver Post, November 15, 1959 50 “Park Manor: is a new hotel type of beautifully appointed apartments located in Denver's East section,” Denver Post, December 11, 1960 51 "Park Manor: is a new hotel type of beautifully appointed apartments located in Denver's East section,” Denver Post, December 11, 1960 52 “Apartments for Elderly Set to Open,” Denver Post, November 14, 1959 14Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart were located on the main floor where residents were able to dine with their friends and family. The latter lounge was said to have been useful for church services, lectures, movies, musical programs and other group-oriented activities.5 This lounge was to entertain residents and guests, Amenities incorporated by Park Manor developers were important because they contributed to social aspects as well as private aspects of retirement living. The residents of Park Manor were looking forward not backward. A Rocky Mountain News headline read, “Problems of aged [were] absent at Park Manor."5 Problems of the aged were defined by health factors, wealth, and living standards. One resident of Park Manor, Mr. Luebke lost his wife in 1945 and Park Manor was “a regular godsend.” He recalled that he had been “keeping house” for the past fourteen years, and “I am happy now not to be washing dishes, shoveling snow or cutting the grass.”56 “For the first time in my life," Luebke said, “I'll have plenty of time for leisure reading.”*? Security was the deciding factor for one resident, Mrs, Rolfe D. Mathens. She stated, "I feel I'll be taken care of for the rest of my time, My future is secure here. That's what I was after.” Mrs, Mathens also stated that she did not come here to “retire from life.” “[] came here to “do what [I] want to do."s* Mrs, Mathens knew that Park Manor and other residents would be there to keep her safe and active, Retired living did not mean the elderly stopped living, In the retired stage of, their adult lives, the elderly could be who they are, live prosperous, and have security over their futures. 53 “Apartments for Elderly Set to Open,” Denver Post, November 14, 1959 54 “Problems of Aged Absent at Park Manor,” Rocky Mountain News, November 16, 1959 55 “Problems of Aged Absent at Park Manor,” Rocky Mountain News, November 16, 1959 56 Problems of Aged Absent at Park Manor,” Rocky Mountain News, November 16, 1959 57 Problems of Aged Absent at Park Manor,” Rocky Mountain News, November 16, 1959 58 Problems of Aged Absent at Park Manor,” Rocky Mountain News, November 16, 1959 15Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart “Needy” Housing In 1975, the Denver City Council spent one Monday night debating a forty-eight bill agenda. During the process, the Council gave preliminary approval to a controversial bill that committed the first three-and-a-half million dollars of housing-bond funds to a first- year program designed to produce a two-hundred unit high-rise complex for the elderly. The bond money would be combined with approximately three-and-a-half million dollars in private capital for fifty new “row houses and the rehabilitation of fifty existing houses.”®Roughly, two hours of deliberation, approval of the housing bill came after intense questioning by Henry Burgwyn, Councilmen James Nolan and Don Wyman. Nolan’s chief concern was “how, when and where the funds would be spent,”6! while Wyman “sought assurance that, should state legislation eventually permit it, the Denver Housing Authority...will spend the funds and supervise the program...and] would attempt to build housing for Denver’s needy elderly in suburban areas as well as within Denver City Limits.”*? This is important because the status and wealth of the elderly varied. Elderly who could not afford to live in communities like Windsor Gardens or Park Manor needed an alternative option for affordable housing. Both Nolan and Wyman agreed that the Denver Regional Council of Government's dispersed housing policy for the metropolitan area would be best served by such action. Under the complex program, the city would, over a five-year period, use the ten- million dollars of bond funds as “seed” money to borrow about thirty million dollars from 5° “Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25,1973 6° “Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25, 1973 6t*Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25, 1973 "Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25, 1973 16Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart private lending institutions.** The loans would be guaranteed by rental payments on new units and a pledge of rent supplement payments by the federal government to the Denver Housing Authority. Over the five years, about fifteen hundred new units [were] built with bond and borrowed funds, but profits from the program over a forty-year period, planners said, “Would amount to one hundred and twenty-five million dollars, all of which could be used for additional housing.” Additional housing was built under the instruction of the Denver Housing Authority. The DHA’s ultimate goal was to provide adequate housing for low-income families and low-income elderly because they were at risk for decreased living standards. African American Elderly Between 1900 and 1978, the elderly population increased seven to eight times in the United States.‘ The racial minority elderly made up about five percent of the total population. In 1978, there were approximately two million African Americans over the age of sixty-five. These individuals only made up roughly eight percent of the elderly population. United States Commerce Department figured suggest that, sixty percent of the black elderly resided in the South; while northern and western America had the fewest percent of elderly black people during this time period.‘ There is a fundamental question being asked that has yet to be addressed by research, “are blacks, because they are black in a predominately white culture, encumbered with special disadvantages in adjusting to "Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25, 1973 "Council Studies Housing for Elderly,” Denver Post, March 25, 1973 65 Robert J. Taylor, Willie H. Taylor. “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” Phylon 43, No. 4 (1982) & Robert}. Taylor, Willie H. Taylor. “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” Phylon 43, No. 4 (1982) vOldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart age?"®? Most information is only speculative and based on stereotyped notions of the older black adult in the context of the whit middle class family.*° Some research suggests that older blacks were found to have poorer health and to have several times the poverty rate than their white counterparts. Along with health and wealth, black elderly persons whom were widowed had greater disadvantages among the black community. Research suggests that the black elderly are inferior to white elderly. There were four important qualities that factor into the quality of life for an elderly person: health, educational background, housing, and marital status. Compared to white elderly persons, the black elderly appeared to be at a significant disadvantage in all aspects of aging life. A major difference between these two communities was the education level. The white elderly had twice as much schooling than their black counterparts, even if the white elderly lacked in education, they still had a significant advantage over the black elderly, Black elderly viewed their income levels as inadequate compared to the white elderly even though their income was about the same, Older African Americans had higher frequencies of poor and fair heath as opposed to the white elderly. Kivett argues that race is an important factor in the life satisfaction of elderly individuals. The more surprising aspect in the analysis between the white and the black elderly is that “despite more negative life situation indicators, older African Americans report a higher level of life satisfaction than their white counterparts.” This can be explained by, “the greater extent to which older African Americans are known to be integrated into families and the important compensating effect that living in a rural area may have on the ©7 Viva R, Kivett. “The Importance of Race to the Life Situation of the Rural Elderly,” Black Scholar 13, No. 1 (1982), 13 ©® Viva R. Kivett. “The Importance of Race to the Life Situation of the Rural Elderly, Scholar 13, No. 1 (1982), 13 lack 18Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart life situations of other rural adults." Because older African Americans were less likely to own their own homes, or to have a mortgage free home, it is understandable that their living situations often led to multifamily living.’ With black elderly living in multifamily housing situations, it relates back to the elderly need for socialization. ‘The elderly spend a higher amount of their income on housing than their younger counterparts did. In 1976, eighty percent of all households in the United States spent twenty-five percent of their income or less to live on adequate housing; about forty percent of the elderly had to spend over twenty-five percent of their income for adequate housing?! In general, the African American elderly tended to be poorer than the white elderly. The average median income of black elderly males in 1977 was less than four- thousand dollars, compared to white elderly with an average of less than six-thousand dollars.” Because the black elderly’s income was so low, it was not surprising to find that a large portion of the population was below poverty. Elderly Housing Success There is no doubt that Denver succeeded in the creation of retirement communities for the middle-class elderly. Denver retirement community developers went on to build housing for the not-so-fortumate elderly as well. Clearly, the elderly who could afford such © Viva R. Kivett. “The Importance of Race to the Lifee Situation of the Rural Elderly,” Black Scholar 13, No. 1 (1982) 70 Viva R. Kivett. “The Importance of Race to the Life Situation of the Rural Elderly,” Black Scholar 13, No. 1 (1982) 71 Robert J. Taylor, Willie H. Taylor. “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” Phylon 43, No. 4 (1982) 7 Robert |. Taylor, Wi Phylon 43, No. 4 (1982) H, Taylor, “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” 19Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart luxurious housing went on to lead leisurely, independent lives with a mix of the social aspect that all humans need. Retirement communities were built and designed for functionality, With each new building and complex, a different element was added for complete independence. It has been argued that these communities will cut off the elderly from the socialization that every human needs, but on the contrary because of the age requirements any “young at heart’ adults over the age of fifty, and in some cases sixty five, there is a social aspect with in the community and ultimately outside of it for the individuals who were not yet retired. Denver was rated one of the leading cities in America for specialized housing. As ‘American citizens and the citizens of Colorado were aging, architects and homebuilders were paying attention to the questions of where and under what conditions the elderly lived in, The elderly tended to not require a large living space, therefore Windsor Gardens’ developers came up with, “own your own apartment.’73 Denver's retirement communities were much like playgrounds for the elderly Americans, There was an entire generation of elderly individuals with grown families that had nothing to do but “stare at walls.””* Windsor Gardens’ builders believed that the, "[elderly] had nothing dynamically viable to do with any other people and they had equity in their own houses. We offered them a new way of life.””5 It was not surprising that the elderly were thrilled to be out of their “empty nests” and flocked to Denver's retirement comimunities where they had privacy, independence, and secure futures. 73 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983, 74 “Windsor Gardens: An [dea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983 75 “Windsor Gardens: An Idea that Worked,” Denver Post February 13, 1983, 20Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Housing the elderly was difficult. Their housing essentials needed to meet a certain criteria as opposed to other younger age groups. By the turn of the century, housing expectations changed for more than thirty million Americans, Developers created several different retirement communities in Denver, Colorado in the 1960s to accommodate some of the more independent elderly persons. In these communities, developers incorporated sufficient amenities for the "young at heart.”! Getting old was a burden. It was a burden because millions of graying Americans wondered where they would live when they got old. Within retirement communities, the elderly achieved an ideal balance between privacy and human contact based on individual preference for permanent residence. The concept of retirement was anew concept during the post-World War Two period, Prior to Social Security, retirement did not exist for most older Americans, Retirement does not mean the elderly had to stop living their lives. Not everyone could afford to live in a retirement community; African Americans during the 1960s and 1970s were less likely to be able to afford such housing, The average median income of African American elderly males in 1977 was less than four thousand dollars, compared to white elderly with an average of less than six thousand dollars? African Americans aged sixty five to ninety nine, differed from aged whites in the areas of health, educational background, housing, and marital status. Part of this paper touches on the less desirable living situations of the black elderly, and their less economic and social status though a series of articles. Sufficient evidence has not been gathered on this topic. Robert}. Taylor, Willie H. Taylor. “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” Phylon 43, No, 4 (1982) ? Robert J. Taylor, Willie H. Taylor. “The Social and Economic Status of the Black Elderly,” Phylon 43, No. 4 (1982)Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart In Denver, developers and investors put restrictions on retirement community eligibility because they were creating a lifestyle. Restrictions that applied to urban Denver retirement communities included, age restrictions, age qualifications, retired, partially retired, and limits on children. This paper will explore independent living communities and LORCs of upper-class elderly Americans Independent living communities offered no personal care services. Leisure or Lifestyle oriented communities offered various kinds of amenities. Atthis time, Denver stood as one of the leading cities in America in the ratio of specialized housing.‘ Nineteen buildings, many of them high-rise apartment houses, were specifically designed for the elderly. All of the buildings were sponsored by non-profit, organizations. Developers were able to gain financial access under special Federal Housing Administration (FHA) terms “in a move to spur construction of new housing specifically designed for the comfort, convenience and welfare of elderly persons.”> Historiography Whether or not society paved the way, retirees now had to look upon leisure time in new ways, This reevaluation, “added to the number of factors that distinguished life prior to retirement from the life afterward and that increasingly set elders apart from the rest of society,” 3 Other retirement communities included, congregate housing, which included at least one shared meal per day with other residents; mobile homes or RV's for active adults; subsidized housing for lower-income elderly adults; and continuing-care retirement communities. 4 “Denver Rated Outstanding in Senior Homes,” Denver Post, November 18, 1962, sec. D. 5 “Denver Rated Outstanding in Senior Homes,” Denver Post, November 18, 1962, sec. D. ® John M. Findlay. Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940. University of California Press, 1992, 166.Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart In the American West, the emergence of cities, transportation, and rising population meant something very different than in other parts of the country. As John Findlay points outin his book Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940, which population growth was "the most distinguishing social feature" of the American West Growth in this region exceeded the national average every decade in the twentieth century, and optimistic Americans saw "new" Western cities such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Denver as blank slates and flexible templates for their hopes and dreams. Developers also recognized the opportunity for community expansion and creativity in the West, predominantly because it offered more geographic space than anywhere else, Urban developers began to influence the rest of the country with their architecture and planned communities.* Like Sun City, Denver sought to exemplify the, “planned community response to the chaos of rapid urban expansion.”? Retirement communities were usually built in warmer places. Arizona, Florida, ‘Texas and California offered “sunshine villages” for elderly individuals who were financially stable. For example, a sunshine village community was in Sun City, Arizona, which opened January 1 1960. It was designed with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course, The opening weekend drew one-hundred thousand people, ten times more than anticipated, and resulted in a Time magazine cover story.!° The future retirement community was built on the site of the former ghost town of Marinette 7 John M. Findlay. Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940. University of California Press, 1992, 8 John M. Findlay. Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940, University of California Press, 1992, 9 John M. Findlay. Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940. University of California Press, 1992, 161. 19"Town of Youngtown, Arizona.” Town of Youngtown, Arizona. 3Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Developer Del E. Webb expanded Sun City over the years, and his company went on to build other retirement communities in the Sun Belt. Sun City West was built in the late 1970s, Sun City Grand in the late 1990s, Sun City Anthem in 1999, and Sun City Festival in July 2006." Retirement communities to the extent in the “sunshine states” did not exist prior to 1950 in Denver. Denver retirement community developers followed Webb's success in creating active elderly communities. The Villages was a census-designed retirement community in Sumter County Florida. It shared its name with a broader master-planned, age-restricted retirement community that spread into portions of Lake and Marion counties. The community was controlled by several Community Development Districts, most of which are controlled by H. Gary Morse, the owner of the development company that created The Villages.1? In the 1970s with considerable portions of Florida land, Schwartz and Tarrson began development of a mobile home park, Orange Blossom Gardens, in the northwestern corner of Lake County. By the early 1980s, though, the community had sold only four-hundred units. In an attempt to improve the business, Schwartz decided to buy out Tarrson's interest and bring his son, Hl. Gary Morse, on board in 1983, Morse noted that the successful retirement communities (such as Del Webb's Sun City developments) offered considerable numbers of well-maintained amenities to the residents and were surrounded by diverse amounts of nearby commercial development. Denver retirement community developers were heavily influenced by the success of Webb and aspired to create similar standards of living for Denver's elderly. 14 "Town of Youngtown, Arizona”. Town of Youngtown, Arizona. 12 Show, Christine (October 5, 2008). "Villages' Morse acts as Magnet for GOP", Orlando Sentinel.Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart Between 1960 and 1980, the number of people over the age of sixty-five and living in cities increased forty two percent. In the suburbs, that number increased ninety percent inthe United States. Anne Woodward argues that homebuilders and architects needed to get creative when building homes; homebuyers needed to demand that houses presently being built will suit their needs in twenty years or so.'3 Woodward does not directly call for retirement community, such as the ones being built by the Denver Housing Authority. Woodward calls for a team of experts to analyze the home and community living and design a means through which they can accommodate the elderly in those plans. Homeowners over the age off sixty-five were living in empty nests. Seventy one percent of all elderly persons over the age of sixty-five are homeowners. Woodward argues that the elderly were living in over-sized, often unsafe, and awkward to care for. Woodward argues that creative options like, duplex housing, basements in family homes, shared living with multiple generations, and group living for the elderly were better than living alone, Woodward mentions group living, but not to the extent of a community where the elderly could achieve an ideal balance of privacy and human contact. Supporters of group housing agreed on the idea of group housing for elderly persons (above the age of sixty-five) contained six to twelve units to a building. Suburb communities that catered to retirement communities should be located in a mixed aged community, with pleasant surrounding and close to amenities. Jon Pynoos, from the University of Southern California, believes that housing for the elderly is one of the most important yet unappreciated issues confronting society. Housing for all age groups bears significantly on the quality of life, as itis a basic necessity relating 13 Woodward, Anne. "Housing the Elderly.” Society. no. 2 (1982): 52-57. 5Oldsters: Building Better Communities for the Young at Heart to available neighborhood services, status and health, and consumes a high portion of income. The elderly spend more time in their homes then outside of the community. Pynoos argues that the elderly can no longer maintain their living quarters because the physical structure of the home no longer meets their needs. Essentially elderly individuals live in “empty nests,” and arguably need to down size in their living quarters. Downsizing does not mean that the elderly have to give up their independence. In fact, there would be more room for independence in a retirement community because there is less stress in taking care of household chores. Housing policy in the United States has mostly been set on the national level where federal programs have formed the basis for state and local activity. National organizations, such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA), promote housing assistance programs for the elderly while protecting the interest of consumers.!5 Pynoos argues that the elderly have had their fair share of federally funded housing assistance programs, but that only three percent of the elderly population in the United States have benefited from these programs. Furthermore, he explains that the needs of several million elderly for housing that.is affordable, safe, accessible, and suitable in terms of neighborhood amenities and services have gone unaddressed." All of the communities created in Denver have been funded by non-profit organizations with a common goal of 4 Pynoos, Jon. "Setting the Elderly Housing Agenda.” Policy Studies Journal. no. 1 (1984): 173-184, 415 Jon Pynoos. "Setting the Elderly Housing Agenda.” Policy Studies Journal. no. 1 (1984): 173-184, 16 Glenda Laws, "The Land of Old Age: Society’s Changing Attitude toward Urban Built Environments for Elderly People," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 83, no. 4 (1993): 672-693