Seniors housing education programs offered at IBS
The NAHB Seniors Housing Council and the seniors housing industry will maintain a high profile at NAHB's 2003 International Builders' Show to be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, through Friday, Jan. 24, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The educational programs will include 12 sessions focusing on the 50+ housing market.

A sample of the programs includes:

• Lifestyle Merchandising: We Model Ourselves After the Active Adult
• Secrets to Successful Small and Mid-Sized Active Adult Communities
• The Universal Appeal of Universal Design
• Multifamily Seniors Housing: For Rent

In addition, the Council will debut Smart Planning for Active Adult Communities, the first course in its Seniors Housing Specialist Program. This course will profile the baby boomer and mature consumer as well as share the latest research and trends.

For more information or to register for the IBS, visit www.buildersshow.com. For a complete listing of seniors housing programs, click here to get on the main education page, then use the drop-down menu under Track and select Seniors Housing.

To receive a registration form or additional details on Smart Planning for Active Adult Communities, call NAHB's University of Housing at 800-368-5242 x8338, or e-mail registrar@nahb.com.

Seniors' Housing News Fall 2002 issue now available
The Fall 2003 issue of Seniors' Housing News, the NAHB Seniors Housing Council's quarterly publication, has been distributed to Council members. The magazine's theme, It's All About Diversity: A Different Look at the 50+ Market, examines the diversity that exists in the seniors housing industry today in response to our ever-changing country.

Diversity is driven by cultural and ethnic differences, the needs of the various stages of the aging process, and the differing tastes in the size and concepts of communities in which people want to live. It also is shaped by the desire for many to remain in their existing homes, the ability to pay, and other factors. This unique issue of SHN examines successful seniors housing communities that embrace diversity and offers possible solutions on design and market positioning.

Please e-mail Jeff Jenkins at jjenkins@nahb.com if haven't received your copy of Seniors' Housing News. To become a subscriber or for more information on how to join the NAHB Seniors Housing Council, call 800-368-5242 x8220, or e-mail seniorscouncil@nahb.com. [return to top]

NAHB research shows senior population by county
Do you wonder how big your local 55+ market is and whether it can support your active adult or seniors housing project? NAHB's Housing Policy Department used research from the 2000 United States Census to break down the size of the market as well as examine growth trends. These figures are useful to area builders who are considering diversifying into 55+ housing, or to current active adult developers who want to gauge potential demand for their product in another part of the country.

Detailed tables showing Census information for all counties are available to NAHB Seniors Housing Council members. The tables show, by county, the population between the ages of 55-74, that age bracket as a share of the county's total population, and the growth of that segment (both in numbers and as a percentage of change) over the past decade. Counties also are ranked within their own state and the U.S. as a whole.

For details on the U.S. Census Data, please call 800-368-5242 x8220, or e-mail ematthews@nahb.com. Be sure to specify which state's data you want. [return to top]

Local Seniors Housing Council News

• The New Jersey Seniors Housing Council of the New Jersey Builders Association will host the seminar '77 Truths About Marketing to the 50+ Consumer' at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, NJ. The course is part of the group's continuing seminar series, focusing on issues pertaining to New Jersey's active adult housing market.

The guest speaker will be Dr. John Migliaccio, president of Maturity Mark Services Co., a communications and marketing consulting organization based in White Plains, NY, and a member of the NAHB Seniors Housing Council. Contact Mary Danielson at 609-587-5577 or e-mail mdanielson@njba.org for details.

• The Seniors Housing Council of Southern California will present its annual SAGE (Senior Achievement and General Excellence) Award to Andrew S. Kohlberg, president and founder of Kisco Senior Living. The council's 14th annual installation and awards banquet will take place Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the Turnip Rose Grand Newport Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA. Wayne Sant of Sunrise Development also will be installed as the council's new chairman.

In addition, the council will honor two seniors housing communities as its 'Project of the Year.' The winners are Avalon at Cerritos, a new assisted-living community built on the campus of Cerritos College, and Center Pointe Villas, a low-income senior apartment community which debuted earlier this year in Norwalk and included a new public center built at no cost to the city. Visit the Web site at www.shcsc.com or call 949-465-2442 for details.

NAHB code changes will save builders $1,500 per home
NAHB Construction Codes & Standards staff achieved outstanding results at the recent final hearings on proposed building code changes before the International Code Council (ICC) . They succeeded in winning more than 82% of the proposals identified as priority issues for home builders, resulting in at least $1,500 in construction costs savings for a typical single-family home with a basement.

NAHB prevailed on changes dealing with minimum ceiling height, basement wall design, limitations on frost-protected shallow foundations, minimum window sill height, self-closing/latching doors to attached garages, and more.

For multifamily construction, NAHB defeated proposals that would have limited the use of Romex wiring in buildings greater than three stories in height, undermined the Fair Housing 'safe harbor' status of the IBC, and significantly increased mandatory minimum floor areas for bathrooms and kitchens in accessible units. These code changes amount to about $1,700 in savings per unit.

The wins, coupled with earlier successes at preliminary hearings, save builders more than $12,000 in extra construction costs if applicable to a single house.

For more information, contact Ed Sutton at 800-368-5242 x8564, or e-mail at esutton@nahb.com. [return to top]

Get the word out about indoor mold
You can give your customers handy information about indoor mold by offering them a copy of our new brochure, Get the Facts on Mold, or directing them to our special web site, www.moldtips.com. Now, if potential buyers bring up mold, you can give them the straight facts about water intrusion, and mold control and prevention.

The brochure and web site were produced by NAHB's Public Affairs Department, while the brochure is published by BuilderBooks.com. [return to top]

It Pays To Be A Member: Save up to 69% with Viking Office Products
NAHB and Viking Office Products are working together to bring members more than just low prices. Advantages include fast overnight delivery, same-day delivery in major cities across the U.S., savings of up to 69% from manufacturers' list price, free delivery on orders as small as $25 (continental U.S. only), one-year guarantee on everything, complete delivery and friendly, courteous, helpful people.

NAHB Seniors Housing Council members are urged to call 800-421-1222 and mention code 'HB' for the standard 10% member discount. For online ordering information and details on more than a dozen other money-saving Member Advantage discount programs, click here or send a blank e-mail to membersavings@nahb.com.

Go to www.nahb.org to explore the numerous member advantages associated with membership in your local, state, and national home builders association. [return to top]