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Terrytown, LA

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: This project will support construction of affordable housing units for older adults in a cottage community. The homes will incorporate universal design elements, feature green infrastructure and connect to a microgrid to keep the power on during severe weather.

Medford, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: This project will create permit-ready housing plans that incorporate accessibility features for older adults and people with disabilities. The city will provide the plans for free or at low cost to residents, allowing them to construct duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes or cottage cluster housing.

Green River, UT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing

Description: Epicenter conducted outreach to older residents about their housing needs, with the goal informing the design of its Frontier House prototype. Costing 36,000, Epicanter envisions the small home as an affordable alternative to mobile homes, where many rural residents live. The 708-square-foot home -- scaled to the minimum house size allowed by City code -- prioritizes accessibility. Designed to be low maintenance, the house is meant to enable residents to age in place in their community. Epicenter plans to monitor the structure for three years to track its utility usage and durability. The nonprofit also uses the prototype as a teaching tool within the community. The nonprofit works to close the housing affordability gap for low-to-moderate income households in rural Utah through home repair and new housing construction.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Bozeman, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Roadway/sidewalks/crosswalk improvement

Description: The City of Bozeman partnered with the Western Transportation Institute to create a pop-up trailer, which they lend to community groups who want to test out street concepts and advocate for permanent changes. The toolkit contains materials for temporary demonstrations, such as straw wattles, planter boxes, pavement paint and tires. These are useful for creating curb extensions and pedestrian islands -- features that calm traffic by narrowing lanes and increasing the visibility of cyclists and pedestrians. The City deployed the kit at the intersection of Tamarack and North Tracy, where residents often complain about speeding. Located near a park, senior center and the county fairgrounds, the intersection is popular with pedestrians and cyclists. When the City polled passersby about the interventions, two-thirds of the feedback they heard was positive. The City also set up radar speed detection equipment, which showed slower vehicle speeds during pop-up project.

Bozeman, MT

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2020

Project Category: Public or private transit access

Description: Streamline is a zero-fare, fixed route bus system that serves about 1,000 riders daily. Because of its popularity, the Human Resource Development Council -- which runs the service -- determined it needed to redesign Streamline's routes and explore ways to expand. To publicize new routes, the Council launched its Doors to Transit campaign. Volunteers painted 15 large, colorful doors displaying information about the new bus service, which the Council temporarily installed around the region. In addition, project organizers hosted a community event to inform residents about new routes and changes to timetables. To draw people in, participants had the chance to win gift cards redeemable at local businesses. Project organizers say these efforts helped reach potential Streamline riders and prepare existing riders for upcoming bus service changes.

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