Overview
Founded in 1991, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) has long been at the forefront of seniors housing, leading with one overriding mission: Helping seniors live longer better.
ASHA started under the auspices of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), which represents apartment owners, managers and developers. After steadily growing throughout the 1990s, ASHA became a separate, independent association in 2001.
ASHA’s mission is to work side-by-side with the senior living industry to advance the core principles of quality, innovation, research, the exchange of strategic business information, and engagement in legislative and regulatory matters.
ASHA represents a diverse community of professionals who are dedicated to improving the lives of older people and their families. Our commitment to developing resources and insights for the industry ultimately gives seniors the opportunity to live with dignity in the setting of their choice.
A well-informed consumer is crucial to fostering positive, empowering senior living experiences. That’s why ASHA launched the Where You Live Matters website in 2016, with the goal of becoming the most valued online destination for older adults and families.
It features unbiased, evidence-based information about senior living community options, as well as direct access with links to individual communities whenever they feel the time is right.
ASHA has a long, proven track record of wielding influence in ways that benefit not only senior living owners and operators, but older Americans and their families too.
As the industry, and in turn, ASHA, advanced throughout the 1990s, it became evident over time that the priorities and issues within seniors housing were diverging from those of the apartment sector. NMHC annual meetings grew from about 400 attendees in 1991 to nearly 2,000 by the end of the decade, so senior housing members agreed it was time to sharpen the focus on seniors living and strike out on their own. This led, in 2000, to ASHA establishing itself as a separate, independent association.
ASHA’s prominent role in representing seniors housing over the course of its first 10 years was driven, to a significant extent, by the explosive growth of assisted living in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Drawn by the promise of the impending boom in the senior demographic and the sudden emergence of a novel approach to caring for seniors that rejected institutionalization in favor of a more traditional, home-like setting with support services, Wall Street and a wide swath of investors readily bought into the future of assisted living.
By the turn of the decade, 19 publicly traded seniors housing companies were underway. The capital was abundant, resulting in peak construction during this period of 66,000 units annually. The widespread development of assisted living led to far greater capacity and market penetration. This triggered broader consumer awareness of seniors living alternatives, giving not only assisted living but all variations of seniors housing a tremendous boost.
In the face of the 2008 financial morass that became the Great Recession, seniors living was remarkably resilient while the rest of America’s economy struggled to regain its footing. Occupancy was relatively stable and rate increases were unabated. Investors took notice, moving seniors living further into the spotlight, thanks to its steady performance.
In 2014, with increasing ethnic and cultural diversity, the challenges associated with providing affordable housing and services, and emerging technologies which allow seniors to prolong their stays at home was transforming the marketplace. Against this backdrop of escalating change, ASHA took stock of its mission, engaged the entire membership in preparing for the future and initiated a strategic planning sequence. The result was the 2015‐2020 ASHA Strategic Plan, based on the vision of “Living Longer Better” and the objective of supporting industry leadership with five overarching goals encompassing Advocacy, Research, Leaders, Meetings, and Industry Promotion.
Today, the seniors housing industry has found itself on the cusp of a new era. The first wave of aging Baby Boomers and the trend toward extended life spans mean demand for seniors housing will increase as much as 75 percent by 2030, with the initial surge hitting shortly after 2020. ASHA members at all levels contributed to the development of the strategic plan, with more than 300 members participating through committees, surveys, meetings and other means of offering their views.
ASHA, backed by a clear consensus on its future direction, is moving ahead to enrich its role as an industry thought leader; position itself to meet the evolving needs of members; provide the industry with a unique forum to anticipate, assess and influence the forces shaping seniors housing; and be a vital and fluid platform to help sustain and cultivate customer loyalty and goodwill, while promoting long-term growth.
ASHA’s original research provides high-quality data and analysis that is unrivaled in the industry. We’re committed to giving our members the most reliable, up-to-date information on a wide range of topics — from senior market research, to tax policy, to social media marketing.
Our Special Issue Briefs deliver real-time insights on developments and trends shaping our industry. And with exclusive on-demand access to ASHA’s entire research archive, members can find the specific material they need to identify growth opportunities and make informed business decisions.
At ASHA, we believe that a free exchange of ideas is essential to creating a vibrant and innovative senior living industry. At ASHA’s national and regional meetings, members can learn from some of the brightest minds in business and academia about the challenges and opportunities before us.
These gatherings also allow members to engage in thought-provoking conversation with some of the nation’s top senior living executives. Whether you’re in an educational session, out on a group hike, playing a round of golf, or socializing after dinner with a fellow member, ASHA meetings offer plenty of opportunity for you to talk with industry leaders, share thoughts and experiences, and forge the kinds of partnerships and relationships that can benefit your business — and the senior living community.
For more than a quarter-century, ASHA has been the leading voice for our industry in Washington. Through our Political Action Committee, we support political candidates who are committed to a thriving senior living industry. Our experienced legislative team works year-round to educate federal officials about the unique challenges that senior living professionals confront every day. We have a proven track record of wielding influence in ways that benefit not only senior living owners and operators, but older Americans and their families, too.
ASHA understands that a well-informed consumer is crucial to fostering positive, empowering senior living experiences.
One of the most common regrets we hear from seniors is that they waited too long to make the move to a senior living community. That’s why ASHA launched Where You Live Matters in 2016, with the goal of becoming the most valued online destination for older adults and families seeking unbiased, evidence-based information about senior living community options as well as those who want direct, unfettered access to individual communities whenever they feel the time is right.
Where You Live Matters provides the consumer with the information they need to make empowered, informed decisions all the way through the process. With its ongoing digital media initiative, ASHA is doing its part to positively change perceptions about senior living and help connect older adults and their families directly to communities without a “lead middleman.”