Stuck in the Suburbs

As boomers age into their sixties and beyond, most still live in suburban and rural areas designed for younger adults in their physical prime. Driving is a requirement for getting groceries, seeing a doctor, or visiting friends and family. Yet many older Americans (20 percent of those aged 50 or older, according to an AARP study) limit their driving or have given it up entirely. As boomers age, millions will be isolated in suburban and rural areas. Housing America's Older Adults, a new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, examines this emerging problem and what can be done about it.