Hide that Grandkid!

All over America active baby boomers in their fifties and older are choosing to live in processed worlds, complete with (fake) historical landmarks and absolutely NO young people. We're all aware of places like Sun City, where seniors can enjoy their retirement without the constant influence of youth culture. There are definitely attractions to this kind of lifestyle. Five million golf courses, golden oldies pumping from hidden speakers, and lowered taxes in child-free zones are among the benefits. But the effects retirement communities have on surrounding areas aren't so rosy. 

I read Age discrimination in housing market picks up steam in reverse gear in the Mercury News yesterday. The author, Andrew D. Blechman, wrote a book called "Leisureville: Adventure in America's Retirement Utopias" which I'll definitely be checking out. The article is a fascinating look at the repercussions of Sun Cities and Youngtowns across the country. I hadn't realized the numbers of Americans residing in these communities were reaching such epic heights---

"According to conservative industry estimates, more than 12 million Americans in the next decade or so will live in communities that forbid young families. This represents a drastic overhaul in our societal living arrangements."

I'll say. The language running through this piece is the weirdest part--forbids, age-segregated, discrimination, human contraband.  This is a touchy issue for a lot of reasons--and especially for real estate developers, since retirement utopias are a market niche that remains largely profitable. These communities are cropping up everywhere, but the majority are still "Sunbelt leisure plantations" in Florida and other friendly climates. 

Such developments provide older Americans with the built-in community they're craving--admittedly that's the attraction that appeals to me the most. But at what cost? 

"Although secession may be a pleasant experience for some, it comes at a steep price for society. Age segregation only reinforces negative stereotypes, leads to a willful forgetting of commonalities and encourages our less charitable instincts."

Blechman then relates the story of a Youngtown couple who were fined $100 a day for hiding their grandson from his physically abusive stepfather. That's pretty bad, but even worse is the next anecdote--in Sun City, residents de-annexed themselves from the school district (to ditch tax obligations), thereby condemning area children to attend school in staggered shifts.

Some of these communities have desegregated and now allow younger families within the perimeters or at least do not fine them during visits or extended stays. Even so, it's difficult to understand why age discrimination is legal and why it's protected by the federal Fair Housing Act.