From the GRC News: Co-Creating Housing Solutions for Older Adults

On April 24, 2025, the Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) project—led by Dr. Atiya Mahmood, with Project Coordinator Nushaiba Nanjiba and Research Assistants Nosaiba Fayyaz and Jean Paul Ramírez—hosted a community forum on Co-Creating Housing Solutions for Older Adults. The event brought together over 30 community members, including housing providers, healthcare professionals, representatives from community organizations and government, as well as lived experts. The purpose was to engage in meaningful dialogue, share perspectives and collaboratively envision inclusive housing for individuals aging in the right place.

The four-hour afternoon forum highlighted the work of the Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) project. “Aging in the right place” refers to supporting older adults to live as long as possible in their homes and communities, recognizing that where an older person lives impacts their ability to age optimally and must align with their unique lifestyles and vulnerabilities. (https://www.sfu.ca/airp/research.html).

The forum showcased eight photo-voice boards, which summarized and thematically organized insights gathered from the project’s research studies. These studies involved the participation of co-researchers—older adults with lived experience of housing precarity. The boards displayed photos taken by participants, capturing elements of their homes and surrounding environments (both built and natural) that either supported or challenged their ability to age in place. In addition, the forum shared findings from interviews with housing providers, outlining themes and challenges that either support or hinder their efforts to assist residents in aging in place.

Citation and permissions

This newsletter article was originally published in the GRC News, a publication of the Gerontology Research Centre at Simon Fraser University. Shared with permission.

Echavarría, J.P.R., Fayyaz, N., Nanjiba, N., & Mahmood, A. (2025) Co-creating Housing Solutions for Older Adults: Reflections from a community forum on Aging in the Right Place. Gerontology Research Centre Newsletter. https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/grc/stories/grc-news/GRC-News-44(1).pdf