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June 1, 2023 Boise City Council 150 North Capitol Blvd. Boise, ID 83702 Members of the Boise City Council, My name is Marc Seidenfeld and I am a volunteer with AARP Idaho. AARP Idaho is nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 185,000 members dedicated to empowering people fifty years or older to choose how they live as they age. AARP supports the wider availability of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as an affordable, accessible housing option for people of all age. We at AARP wish to express our support for the proposed change to the Boise Planning Code under the Boise Zoning Code Rewrite, Adoption Draft, February 2023, (Code) which would make the building of ADUs feasible in more areas of the city. Older adults need more housing choices that fit their needs and their pocketbooks. This is especially true for those whose only alternative may be higher cost assisted living facilities, where the out-of-pocket costs are out of reach for many people who need long term care. ADUs are small houses or apartments that exist on the same property lots as a single-family residence but still provide separate living and independent quarters, and because they tend to be smaller and more affordable than single-family houses, they can be a good housing option for older adults who want to downsize but still live in a neighborhood setting. ADUs can be a way to offer lower cost alternatives and allow family to help with caregiving. Recent events, such as the COVID pandemic, show the importance of housing that allows for live-in or nearby caregiving. AARP’s 2021 Home and Community Preference Survey (Survey) indicates that three-quarters of adults ages fifty and older want to stay in their homes (77%) and communities (79%) as they age. According to the survey, most adults would live in an ADU or in-law unit to live close to someone but maintain their own space (64%), if they needed help with daily activities (62%) or to save money (52%), while 62% would consider building an ADU on their property for a loved one who needed care, and 54% would for a family member or friend who needed a home. 1 1 https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/community/info-2021/2021-home-community-preferences.html