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Better Block Hawaii (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
└ Housing Choice Design Competitions
High housing costs in Līhu‘e left older adults and families struggling for affordable options. Better Block Hawaii hosted a design competition for climate-resilient, age-friendly accessory dwelling units, engaging residents through workshops and a review committee. Eight submissions were received, and winning designs were published in a free booklet to guide future builds. "This is a home I can imagine living in," said one attendee at the community open house. The project raised awareness of ADUs as a practical solution for housing and supplemental income and sparked interest in similar efforts across Hawaii.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Roanoke, VA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Facing an aging population and rising housing costs, Roanoke updated zoning to allow accessory dwelling units but needed to build awareness. The city partnered with AIA Blue Ridge for a design competition that produced four pre-approved ADU plans, an online design book and a resource website. Workshops and an awards event showcased universal design and aging-in-place strategies. Residents are now exploring ADU construction using these plans, a shift expected to add new units each year and help older adults stay in their neighborhoods.
Rock Falls, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Blackhawk Hills Regional Council will hold a rural design competition to create scalable, modular blueprints for multigenerational housing. Entries must be affordable, sustainable, and incorporate universal design principles. Winning designs will be freely available for use in Northwest Illinois.
Cleveland Heights, OH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Housing Choice Design Competitions
Description: Zoning barriers and high costs limited Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), reducing housing options for older adults. To build awareness and momentum, the city hosted an ADU design competition that drew 28 submissions and over 5,300 online views. Three winning designs will become pre-approved plans, and a showcase event engaged residents and media. These steps laid the groundwork for zoning changes and future ADU construction, offering affordable, accessible housing. One resident said, "After decades of dreaming of a garage conversion for me in my golden years, I was thrilled to learn my city would reconsider zoning."
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Lihue, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: This project will support field repairs and maintenance, build storage facilities, and improve restrooms. The league has 14 teams for players age 55 and over.
Lihue, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Lihue's downtown faced unsafe, car-centric streets that limited walkability for residents, especially older adults. To address this, the project added murals to bus shelters and a crosswalk, built a community garden and hosted a dinner where attendees voted on mural designs. Volunteers expanded the garden and engaged older adults in shaping public space. These efforts sparked new partnerships and funding for future improvements like street trees and additional gardens. As one volunteer said, "We're not only growing food, we're growing community," underscoring the project's role in fostering connection and livability.
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