By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Retirees are the top economic driver in the Hays community.
Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays, explained what that means for Hays and talked about a proposed retiree housing community during a luncheon at BriefSpace on Tuesday.
Although many perceive retirees as seniors, the national definition now includes anyone older than 55 who is not working or has wound down their career.
Williams said the demographic is very desirable — if you can attract it.
"They contribute. They have money. They spend money, and they typically don't hold up liquor stores," he said.
Migration
Rural Kansas is facing a serious exodus of people between now and 2064. Ellis County is the only county in Northwest Kansas expected to have any population growth over that time frame.
Williams said he had a good friend who recently moved a year ago to Kansas City because he couldn't find housing in this community. Had he been able to find the right type of housing, he would have stayed, Williams said.
"He moves. His wealth moves with him, whatever that might be, and the chances of him coming back are slim to none," Williams said.
Hays may be in a position to take advantage of rural migration into more urban areas. Rural retirees are looking to be closer to health care and more amenities.
"Far too many are driving by here, because again, we don't have the right things in place for them to locate here," Williams said.
Yet another segment of the population that is living in urban areas is seeking to relocate to more rural areas, which tend to be less congested and have lower crime rates.
Hays housing crisis
Williams said Hays is not going to be able to capture more retirees or new workers until it solves its housing crisis. A proposed retiree housing development could be part of the solution.
Hays had 101 homes listed for sale in December 2019, 50 in December 2020 and, as of Tuesday, Hays had 34 listings.
"We definitely have a housing problem," Williams said. "This would be one more solution to that housing problem."
Williams said some retirees are stranded in their current homes. They would like to relocate into a homes that better suit their lifestyles, but the housing they desire is not available.
If older Hays residents could move into retiree housing, that would free up family homes for younger families.
A Retiree Community Task Force has been working on a proposed retiree housing development north of the HaysMed campus. Plans for the project are still in their infancy, and any completed project is at a minimum of two years in the future, Williams said.
The 20-acre tract is owned by HaysMed. Williams said having a location next to The Center for Health Improvement, which could provide fitness opportunities, is desirable for this type of development. The task force also would like to see the development tie into the HaysMed walking trail.
HaysMed would use some of the lots for housing for HaysMed personnel who are trying to relocate to the area, but have not been able to secure housing yet.
The development would have 34 garden homes and 30 to 34 townhomes or condos.
Williams said the retiree development could address workforce issues in Hays in two ways. First, some retirees who move into the retiree development might want to continue to work or volunteer. The development could also free up as many as 70 homes in Hays for new workers.
The housing would be covered by a home owners association and all lawn and garden maintenance and snow removal would be covered.
The housing will be accessible for those with disabilities. No assisted-living or skilled nursing would be included in this development. Williams said the task force members believe there is enough of those services already offered in Hays.
A community center would be at the heart of the development. It would also be available for use by the community at large. However, the task force doesn't know yet who would own the center or how it would be paid for.
The task force would like to see the community center offer meeting rooms, a dining area and a pickleball court. The Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging has volunteered to offer office hours periodically at the community center.
Task force members see all the units in the development being individually owned. Retirees could own the units, children could own units on behalf of their parents or investors could own units and rent them to retirees.
HOA guidelines would govern who could live in the homes, Williams said.
A developer has yet to be found for the project. HaysMed has indicated it does not want to be the developer on the project, Williams said. The task force will also need to find a way to pay for about $1 million in infrastructure, including sewer and streets, needed for the development.
Williams said he thinks Hays has a lot going for it in terms of being a retiree community, the relative safety being an example. However, he said Hays could focus more on activities for retirees. He said an activities director could organize activities through the community center.
Sandy Jacobs, a task force member, said the idea is not for a community center to compete with the existing senior center, but those activities to move to the new center. Representatives of the senior center have been involved in discussions with the task force, Jacobs said.
"To me, this is another road block that we can put on I-70 to keep people in western Kansas from going to Manhattan or Junction City and stopping here," she said of the proposed development.
The next step for the task force's project is to find a developer and for that developer to find financing, Williams said.