Housing continues to be an issue in Juneau, but improvements are underway. Seniors, in particular, need appropriate places to live, so they can age safely and comfortably in this hometown they love and do not want to leave.
Juneau is in the midst of a significant demographic transition, from a community where about one in 20 was a senior in 1970 to a town where one in five residents will be 65 or older. Before long, seniors will be a quarter of Juneau’s population. It is essential there be sufficient housing and care for them. According to the Alaska Commission on Aging, Alaska’s senior per capita growth has led the nation for seven years and counting. Our senior population will keep growing through at least 2030. We are all living longer; in fact, from 2010 to 2016 Alaskan seniors aged 85 and above have increased 33 percent.
Two housing projects are forthcoming that will help fill the gap in Juneau’s senior housing. There has been a bit of confusion in the community about the difference between the two.
The most critical senior housing need is for “assisted living,” that is, housing where levels of care are provided for those elders who require assistance with their activities of daily living. This is an especially important option for people who have dementia. Juneau does not have enough assisted living now, and over the next 15 years, the number of Alaskans living with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to nearly triple.
A local non-profit organization, Senior Citizen Support Services, Inc. (SCSSI), is sponsoring the ongoing effort to bring senior assisted living and memory care to Juneau. A beautiful location along the Mendenhall River in Vintage Park has been selected, and financing activity is underway. Called Riverview Senior Community, it will provide 54 apartments along with daily living assistance, plus another 34 units for those requiring memory care. While it is exciting that long-needed assisted living could finally be available in Juneau, Riverview will only meet about 65 percent of the demand. But it’s a healthy start toward resolving what is already a crisis.
There is also promising news for seniors who can live independently but want to downsize or live more safely or conveniently. A wonderful new complex of 49 one- and two-bedroom apartments is currently under construction next to where Riverview Senior Community is to be built. This is where some confusion lies, as some have thought — and hoped — that what they see being built now will be assisted living.
These affordably-priced new apartments, called Trillium Landing, are scheduled to open by late summer 2017. Built by GMD Developers, Trillium Landing will offer a range of services and programs to residents who can live without assistance, as well as daily on-site management. Potential renters, who must be 62 or older, can learn more and make application at TrilliumLanding@Quantumms.com.
Both SCSSI and GMD are excited to be part of the Juneau housing community, by offering these two separate, but compatible and complimentary, developments. The synchronicity between independent and assisted living on one “campus” will allow the needs of Juneau’s senior population to be better met by providing a continuum of living and care options. Great news for Juneau’s seniors!
SCSSI continues to work diligently toward construction of Riverview Senior Community. All pre-development work is complete, including engineering, design and City and Borough of Juneau conditional use permitting. In spite of its proven sustainability and excellent financial projections, funding for the project has proven difficult, due to Juneau’s location and demographics. The assisted living industry is robust in the Lower 48, where the large baby boomer population is aging and living longer, as is true in Juneau. Senior housing developers and assisted living operators express no interest or need to invest in Juneau; they are plenty busy elsewhere. Once financial challenges are met, it is hoped that Riverview will be operating by year end 2018.
Investment in the construction of Riverview Senior Community has many dividends besides housing seniors who need care. It will be a boost to the local construction industry, as well as provide 75 new jobs in the community. It will allow elders to live out their lives where they want to be, near family and friends, thus continuing the enormous financial contribution they make to our economy. Seniors contribute over $100 million per year to the Juneau economy.
Having adequate retirement housing has other advantages for Juneau. It’s clean and green, benefits all economic sectors, flourishes year-round, provides greater economies of scale in medical care and provides opportunities for seniors to serve as supporters of arts and humanities groups and as volunteers for nonprofit groups and causes.
SCSSI congratulates GMD for Trillium Landing and is anxious to finish their challenging project to provide assisted living for Juneau. It can’t be soon enough. To express support and interest in Riverview Senior Community, you are invited to send an email to sioux@gci.net.
• Sioux Douglas is a 40-year Juneau resident who serves as president of Senior Citizen Suport Services Inc. Along with her Board of Directors, she is deeply committed to providing assisted living and memory care for Juneau’s elder citizens.
