The senior housing titan brings new meaning to affordability, sustainability and amenities

May 31, 2021

For over 30 years, SHAG has been known for providing quality, affordable independent senior housing throughout the Puget Sound region.

Now the non-profit organization is bringing a new definition to its mission.

While the venerable company continues to offer below market rent to income-qualified seniors, they now also welcome residents without maximum income limitations. The fresh focus allows SHAG to expand the services and amenities it offers through affiliations with other senior housing sponsors—and the renewed SHAG might just surprise you.

With 18 communities and growing, SHAG’s latest quest is reflected in a name change—same acronym, new intention: Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations.

Live well and stay happy

SHAG views sustainable housing as the ability to live securely and comfortably within a budget while also being supported through amenities and services. More than simple independent living, the communities offer supportive service teams that connect residents to local services—anything from food pantries to transportation needs to accessing health and home care services, or even economic support. These services are intended to help residents age in place at SHAG even as their needs change. This is accomplished, in part, through SHAG’s Community Life Foundation—created to meet residents’ vital needs that might otherwise go unmet

At the same time, the mission has expanded to offer a wider range of amenities.

As Covid restrictions begin to lift, SHAG offers plenty of ways to connect at all the communities, including cozy gathering spaces, shared outdoor spaces and a busy calendar of social activities. But the newer communities offer much more: fitness rooms with low-impact exercise equipment, media rooms with theater style seating, craft and game rooms, a business hub with free wi-fi, pea patch gardens, walking tracks and pet areas. Activities may range from yoga, book clubs and potlucks, to computer, art or cooking classes. Most communities now offer shuttles for shopping and other outings like viewing the tulip fields, visiting the Museum of Glass, or any number of popular destinations.

The new buildings themselves are sustainable and energy efficient communities. Keeping in line with sustainability, a unique feature at some SHAG buildings is the ability to check out the community’s electric car for a few hours a day. SHAG carries the insurance, so drivers don’t need it. This program is only $30 a year.

“More than just an apartment, people move here for the social interaction,” says Leslie Snider, a long time leasing specialist with SHAG. “Residents can make friends, and that is a big part of the appeal.”

She adds that SHAG’s attraction is a combination of reasonable rental costs, easy ways to make friends, as well as the amenities and services. Add to that, SHAG locations are convenient to bus stops, grocery shopping, pharmacies and medical services.

“In the past, people looking for a nice, affordable place to live but making more than was allowed through the tax credit program meant they weren’t able to apply to SHAG,” says Leslie. “Now everyone can apply.”

SHAG—Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations—says, “Live life your way, in a community of friends, with the freedom to enjoy pursuits that make you happy.”

With 18 communities and growing, SHAG might offer just the home you are looking for. Current locations range from West Seattle to Bellevue, from Mountlake Terrace to Tacoma— with more in the pipeline. For more information, call 833-887-7424 or visit www.Housing4Seniors.com.

MORE INFORMATION

While market rate apartment rentals are now available to all without income limitations, SHAG continues to offer below market rent to income-qualified seniors through the Tax Credit program.

Income limits for Tax Credit properties are calculated annually by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The income limit for an affordable housing program is the maximum amount of income a household can earn to qualify to receive assistance.

The specific figure is based on the city or county's Area Median Income (AMI), and is adjusted depending on how many persons live in the household.

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SHAG Succeeds With Middle-Market Senior Living, Unconventional Branding

Chuck SudoOctober 3, 2018

This year has been one of redefinition for Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations (SHAG). The Washington-state based senior housing provider — the largest in the Puget Sound area — celebrated its 30th anniversary with a new vision, and came close to changing its name altogether. SHAG’s acronym used to stand for “Senior Housing Assistance Group.”

“We were actually thinking about changing the acronym away from SHAG,” Executive Director Jay Woolford told Senior Housing News. “But when we did market research, we realized there was too much brand equity. People knew SHAG, but they either didn’t know what it stood for or had a misperception that we were a quasi-government agency.”

The acronym’s new meaning embraces the group’s updated mission of helping its tenants age gracefully and continue to be vital contributors in their communities, and a commitment to diversity within their communities. SHAG has also embraced the diversity of its 28 communities through irreverent, quirky marketing. One example of its unconventional approach: When a visitor to SHAG’s website clicks on Woolford’s headshot, it transforms into a photo of him playing guitar.SHAG has also embraced the inevitable “Austin Powers” references to its name.

“When I started, the number of people who laughed because they thought of Austin Powers was astounding,” Woolford said. “We decided to embrace our inner SHAG.”

Senior Housing News interviewed Woolford about SHAG’s new mission, its operational model and its future plans, including working more closely with Medicare Advantage insurers and other managed care organizations.

Senior Housing News: You joined SHAG in 2010. How has the organization changed in that time?

Jay Woolford: The focus was on new development. As I visited each community and talked to managers and residents, I came away realizing we were doing a great job of providing housing. But we needed to prepare ourselves to support the residents living in our communities, to allow them to age within our communities.

We recognized we needed to redefine the mission. We want to preserve and sustain affordability, and highlight what we’re doing to support and sustain people to age in community.

Affordability has always been the foundation of SHAG’s mission statement. What do you do to ensure affordability?

From the beginning, our model has always focused on providing affordable housing for middle-market seniors who earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing, yet don’t make enough to enter independent living communities. We target folks who are either living on a fixed income, people who aren’t retired and fall within the broader spectrum of income levels.

We take advantage of the state’s 4% low income housing tax credits and volume cap bonds almost exclusively to develop our properties. We’ve found, from experience, the 4% credits are not as competitive as the 9% credits, and it’s a bracket where we’re able to develop properties in a manner to comfortably offer rents that conform to 60% of a renter’s annual median income (AMI).

Is this an operational model that can be duplicated elsewhere? Or does SHAG have the right confluence of policies, pricing, scale and market conditions in your operating area?

I believe our model is replicable, but definitely needs to adapt to market conditions. Median income, property prices and market rents definitely are a factor. As I mentioned, the economics are generally favorable for projects with a 50% and 60% AMI income qualification. There is a growing need though to serve folks in the 40%-50% AMI income bracket.

In recent years, housing costs have risen while incomes have remained static. What else has SHAG undertaken to help residents maintain affordability?

Over the last couple years, we’ve developed supportive services teams which help connect our residents available services in an area. That can include anything from nutrition support to transportation support to access to health care and economic support. We’ve also developed partnerships with local groups and nonprofits, which allow residents to connect with the neighborhoods where they live while also granting them access to local services.

How does SHAG evaluate those partnerships?

It begins in our annual planning sessions, looking at what areas we want to focus on. We try to be intentional in fostering these partnerships, but we also need to know when to be opportunistic when we’re approached by other organizations that are interested in working with us.

We’ve been reporting on how Medicare Advantage plans are starting to cover non-skilled in-home services, which could potentially make MA a payer in senior living. Is SHAG in any discussions with MA plans or eyeing opportunities to work with different managed care organizations/payers?

SHAG has very much been involved in discussions about opportunities to best support healthy living in affordable housing. We believe that this must be accomplished through partnerships with ACOs, HMOs, CMS and other provider networks and insurance carriers, to begin to look at effective models of delivery, preventive measures and cost containment. Everyone needs to recognize that housing is an essential part of health care. As new programs move into our market, we are actively pursuing discussions. We also continue to advocate for ways to create payer models that will support aging in community.

Can you talk a bit about SHAG’s scale?

We’re focused on the Interstate 5 Corridor, from the Canadian border down to Olympia and Puget Sound. Currently, we operate in excess of 5,400 affordable units. We have several new communities under construction. Our communities tend to be larger — the sweet spot is in the 200-unit range. We have density by design, and it gives us another advantage: a diverse population we serve. Unlike a lot of communities that are predominantly homogenous, our communities reflect the population in the area. With that comes diversity.

What does your pipeline look like?

We recently opened a new senior living facility in Tukwila, in conjunction with the city. We took several parcels and built the housing, along with a standalone community center, a coffee shop and an outdoor plaza where we’re able to do farm stands in the summer. The plaza is next to a library and brings in a lot of intergenerational traffic.

We’re building two to three new buildings a year and will now be redeveloping several of our older communities. We closed bond financing last week on a property we developed 15 years ago. This will allow us to bring the community up to a new standard.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Written by Chuck Sud

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SHAG Opens Lynnwood City Center Senior Living

An Affordable Senior Living Community for Residents of All Incomes

Posted on Nov. 13, 2017 by Stacia Kirby