e-News from Older Dominion Partnership

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) improves mobility and access for the 50+ population by providing mass transit and walkable streetscapes as transportation alternatives to the automobile. But the desirability to all generations of housing within TOD communities drives up rents. In 20 major U.S. metro areas studied by AARP, there are 250,000 federally subsidized housing units. Two-thirds of the federal subsidies that keep those rental units affordable are due to expire in five years. If property owners convert to market-based rates, housing options for older Americans could be curtailed. Read the report.

The problem is less severe in the Washington, D.C., region where only 30% of the subsidies are due to expire, according to data in the AARP report. For details on housing affordability in Virginia, check the ODP Age Wave Preparedness Resource Center.

Just One Question: Do the Taxi Drivers Help Unload the Groceries?

North Hempstead, N.Y. has found a way to reduce the cost of its Project Independence initiative, which gives residents over 50 years old free rides to the grocery store: Pay taxis to take them. The county has relied upon buses capable of carrying 50 people, which typically transport only three or four seniors at a time. By hiring taxis instead, reports Newsday, the town expects to save $100,000 or more per year. Read more.

Encore Careers: Learning to Teach

There is a national shortage of teachers in math and science and the deficit will grow worse as Baby Boomer teachers retire. A New York Times article highlights an innovative program in Virginia, the Career Switchers program, that gives working adults a fast-track path to a teaching license. We suspect that teaching would top the list of encore career opportunities for thousands of Virginians nearing retirement. Find out more about Career Switchers here. And read the NY Times article here.

Want to Enjoy Retirement? Get a Job!

Retirees who continue to work in some capacity, even part-time, are less likely to experience physical decline and disease, according to research published last month in The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Those who worked part-time or temp jobs were less likely to be diagnosed with any of eight chronic diseases, from heart disease to diabetes.

Said study co-author Mo Wang, a University of Maryland psychology professor: "When you work, you have a daily structure. You may do more physical activity. Working provides financial resources, social context, opportunities to interact and to learn new skills. Working can also be good for self-esteem and nurturing a sense of identity." Read more.