What Does AARP Recommend for Multigenerational Housing?
AARP has been one of the most consistent institutional voices in favor of ADUs as a multigenerational housing solution, backing legislative reform in state after state and publishing practical guides for homeowners considering building one. Their position is rooted directly in what their members say they want.
AARP’s national 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey reveals that a strong majority of adults aged 50 and older – 75% – wish to remain in their current homes as they age, and 73% hope to stay in their communities, significantly higher than younger adults aged 18-49, but existing housing policies and community infrastructure are not keeping pace with this increasing need. That gap between what older adults want and what’s available to them is exactly the problem AARP sees ADUs helping to solve.
According to AARP’s 2024 survey data, one in four older homeowners say they would consider building an accessory dwelling unit to provide space for a loved one who needs care or a place to live. That’s a remarkable level of interest, and it reflects something real: families are under financial and logistical pressure, and many are recognizing that keeping generations nearby – while preserving everyone’s privacy – is smarter than the alternatives.
Family members or caregivers can live nearby in an ADU, or these units can serve as a source of rental income for the primary homeowner. According to the AARP 2024 survey, one in four homeowners aged 50 and older have thought about building an ADU on their property.
AARP has also been pushing hard for policy changes that make ADUs easier to build. “By supporting small-scale housing production, this bill will make it easier to build accessory dwelling units – an option that can help families meet housing needs across generations,” said Jenn Jones, AARP’s vice president of government affairs. In Iowa, that advocacy paid off in a concrete way: during the 2025 legislative session, AARP advocated for a statewide ADU bill that requires all cities and counties in Iowa to allow homeowners to build an ADU on their property, and the bill, SF 592, passed in both chambers with broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Reynolds on May 1, 2025.