Great news. ARC is putting out a podcast! Better yet, there’s an entire episode that focuses on an aging issue—specifically, the trend of “Golden Girls” housing, in which many older people are choosing to becoming roommates to save money and build community along the way.
Aging? Then this story’s for you. And, guess what? We’re all aging.
In just 12 years, one in four of us will be 60 or older in metro Atlanta. And as our demographics change, we need to change how we think about building communities that work for everyone.
In this episode, we visit Beth Hogan and Debbie Aschemeier, a pair of older women who became roommates to save money. But they’ve enjoyed the experience so much that now they want to expand their household. And it turns out this is happening around the country. It’s a national trend, called “Golden Girls” housing—like the old TV show.
More than half of all metro Atlantans aged 65 or older struggle with housing affordability. That means they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. That doesn’t leave much for expenses like transportation—important in metro Atlanta—or medical care – often important to older individuals. This episode unpacks all of that.
Resources for this episode
- Metro Atlanta’s Senior Housing Shortage -ARC
- Cohousing: A Growing Concept in Communal Living -AARP
- Fact Sheet: Cohousing for Older Adults -AARP
- Aging in Cohousing (including a list of Senior Cohousing Communities Completed and in-process as of August 2017) -The Cohousing Association of the United States
- The Cohousing Association of the United States
- No Cats, No Sleepovers: Boomers Become Housemates -Wall Street Journal
- Getting a Roommate in Your Golden Years -New York Times
What is a podcast?
A podcast is like a radio show, except that you can listen to it whenever you’d like.
ARC’s podcast is called “What’s Next ATL”. It’s hosted and produced by Kate Sweeney, formerly an NPR reporter for 90.1 WABE and now a member of our staff. Each episode focuses on one crucial issue facing our region, such as housing affordability, the future of transportation, and employment, and a person, local government, or organization tackling it in a creative way. What’s Next ATL podcast episodes are between 10 and 22 minutes.
How do I listen to a podcast?
You have two options: You can either listen to podcasts on your computer browser or on an app on your smartphone or tablet.
To listen on your computer, open an internet browser and go to: https://whatsnextatl.org/podcast/. Then, press play! Make sure that your computer’s sound is turned on. You can open a new tab and continue doing other things online while you listen.
To listen on your smartphone, you will need to download an app. Unless you choose to upgrade, podcast apps should be free! You have a few options: iTunes, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and more. To find these apps, go to the app store on your phone and search for them by name. Then, click “Download”.
Once the app is downloaded, you can press the magnifying glass to search for a podcast by name. To start, type “What’s Next ATL”.
Why would I want to subscribe?
If you subscribe on your favorite podcast app, like iTunes or Stitcher, each episode will show up automatically on your iPhone, computer, or tablet each week.
You can subscribe within the app by clicking “Subscribe” on the podcast’s page. You can find this page by searching for the podcast on your app.
You can also go to https://whatsnextatl.org/podcast/ on your computer, smartphone, or tablet and click “SUBSCRIBE”. Several options will pop up, and you can click the method that you use.
We know you’ll want to hear them all.
Learn more about Senior Housing Options! You can also call Empowerline at (404) 463-3333 to discuss your options.
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