They’re Playing Our Song

 

They’re Playing Our Song

 “Getting old is not for the faint of heart.”  My mother says this often.  She ought to know. She and her husband are both 100 years old.  They deal with many of the things you’d think two 100 year old people deal with.  They both use walkers but not wheel chairs.  They live in a 2 room managed-care condo with daily help and all meals prepared.  There’s a small lake outside their window and my Mother loves to sit and watch the geese & ducks swimming by, plucking & grooming.  For her it’s as good as TV. 

My stepdad likes to go to the weekly dances.  He loves life.  Goes out to play cards every day, various games and activities.  An old railroad man who handled timber shipping accounts, he can strike up a conversation with anyone.  I really admire how each day is a holiday for him it seems.  Having a good attitude seems to be an elixir for those who live long lives. 

They live in a nice assisted-living place.  Most assisted-living places have different levels of assistance based on the needs of the resident.  It can get pretty expensive, and for many people will likely take all their income plus some.  Savings, retirement accounts – if you have one - various government programs, insurance, Gi, etc. make up the rest.  Many people don’t have resources like these available.  There’s a great need for affordable, reasonable assistance for millions of older and disabled people.

The Cost of Living, is going way up.  Inflation is increasing much faster than most peoples’ income.  There’s that, and there’s the distribution of wealth in our nation’s economy.  The tax bill of 2018 that passed with only Republican votes gave a permanent tax reduction to corporations.  Regular taxpayers saw a temporary tax break but many of these tax cuts will expire in 2025 and around 65% of the population will have a sizable tax increase in the following couple of years, per Joseph E. Stiglitz 10-31-2020 in the New York Times. Resulting deficits could leave a hole of billions or trillions of dollars threatening Social Security & Medicare which most Americans rely on. 

In Willits, there’s not enough housing – period, but also very little affordable housing for the elderly & disable.  In fact, there’s not even enough such housing for people who could afford to buy something.  In areas where they have them, a rented 2-room elder condo with minimal care for two people often costs around $6,000.00 or more per month!  Can you afford that, especially when you’re old and not working?  There are other solutions to be found, more affordable ones.

Developing more housing depends, of necessity, on expanded water & distribution capacity, more street construction, expanded sewer capacity, energy & internet– all that stuff we depend on to live. Local development of needed housing and care for those in need starts in the community.  We can’t just say ‘costs go up faster than income and we just have to live with less’, leaving people homeless.  This is a dilemma that we have to create a solution for.  Everything starts with Planning.

Willits needs more housing for the elderly & disabled.  More housing needed for everyone, really.  Here’s part of the equation; ‘What are the people’s incomes in the area’ – then create housing that most people can afford.  People who are living in just regular housing today, will likely be wanting the more “senior” versions of housing and ways of living in the future.  Let’s just start planning it now!  Create apartments & condos, on large lots & small acreage that we can get infrastructure to.  The housing by the Senior Center is a start.

Local government – I request that you begin with Zoning.  Willits is a mishmash of dysfunctional zoning, it just grew that way.  But it doesn’t have to stay that way.  The tool of the General Plan is really a Vision Statement of how we want things to grow.  What would a better-planned, more convenient to live in, beautiful – Willits look like? 

Willits, like many places, has limited City staff and funds.  Only so much can be done at a time.  Things have to be prioritized.  That’s why a Plan is so important!  When you have a long term plan – say a ten-year plan – then each decision, everything you fix or expand or zone for, becomes a step toward that Vision, that Plan.  That’s how the tool of Planning works.  That’s how all goalsetting works. 

As my column title advises “They’re playing our song”, meaning, we’re all headed in that direction.  Nice elder-care housing could be ready in 3-4 years with the cooperation of City and builder/developers.  Good, creative planning can get us a place to live that is well-planned, well-built, safe and attractive.  The question of affordability comes up again.  There are ways.  We need to find them, and to create affordability with legislation & evaluation of resources.  It’s our future after all. 

In one episode of The Golden Girls, Sophia says “It costs money to get old.”  The price is not only a place to live, many people become “homeless” as they grow old for lack of funds.  The suicide rate of Americans 85 years or older is over 20%.  White males made up 69.38% in 2019 of suicides, per the Centers for Disease Control!  If you or anyone you know is thinking of suicide please call 1-800-273-8255 or 911, or call a trusted friend or family member.  Pause, and talk with someone, Please. 

Factors of growing old or disabled include: growing old in place (in your home with help), homelessness, health care, managed care, assisted living, food, lack of enough income, family assistance or lack of, mental health issues, loneliness, pets, affordable housing, failing health & pain, death of friends, discovering new interests, finding ways to be happy. 

As a Community we need to be talking about these issues, and finding solutions.  We can’t just ignore that this is happening.  Most of us will be dealing with at least some of these issues as we age.  Earlier I mentioned Planning, meaning primarily Municipal Planning by the City.  The pissing match between the County & the City about land has to end. The City must zone for needed housing development and facilities.  Fix the broken patchwork of zoning in Willits and create appropriate housing for our aging population. Expensive, inadequate housing on big lots is not the answer.  Selling land to the highest bidder for more industrial development in town is definitely not the answer.  Let’s get serious!

I don’t care what your age is, you will be needing this type of housing if you live long enough.  Get vocal.  Attend City Council meetings and ask that senior housing with various levels of care get in the plan.  It doesn’t have to all be care-type facilities.  It can be co-housing with sharing of some facilities, Condos above commercial space as one sees in many towns & cities, small houses on tiny lots with a common parking area.  These are all types of development that are being done right now all over the Country.  Believe me when I say – They’re playing our song, as we age and look toward what we need here.  If you want to stay in Willits, as I do, we need places to live that work for older and disabled people.  And while we’re at it, for everyone really. 

Bill Barksdale was inducted into the 2016 Realtor® Hall of Fame, and served as Chair of the County of Mendocino Assessment Appeals Board settling property tax disputes between the County Assessor & citizens and businesses.  Read more of Bill’s columns on his blog at www.bbarksdale.com