ASHA marks 35 years with commemorative book and new strategic plan

The American Seniors Housing Association is ending its 35th anniversary year with a book that recounts its history and the senior living industry’s evolution since 1991. The publication also points to ASHA’s 2027-2031 strategic priorities as demand rises with an aging population.

Why it matters: - ASHA’s 35th anniversary book captures how senior living changed over the past three and a half decades and what the industry now faces. - The publication arrives as older-adult demand grows, consumer expectations shift and senior living providers prepare for a new planning cycle. - ASHA’s work matters to owners, operators, developers, investors, policymakers and families making senior living decisions.

What happened: - The American Seniors Housing Association published 35 Years Leading the Way at the Forefront of Senior Living to close out its yearlong 35th anniversary celebration. - The book covers ASHA’s history, major milestones and the association’s role in senior living’s growth and advancement. - ASHA founded in 1991 under the auspices of the National Multifamily Housing Council and became an independent association in 2001. - The publication includes perspectives from ASHA chairpersons and other senior living leaders. - ASHA also highlighted a Five-Year Strategic Plan for 2027 through 2031.

The details: - The anniversary book traces industry turning points, including the expansion of assisted living in the 1990s, the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic and the sector’s recovery. - ASHA says it helped lead collaborative federal advocacy during the pandemic that secured more than $500 million in provider relief funding for private-pay assisted living communities. - For 35 years, ASHA has worked on federal policy issues tied to housing, taxation, workforce development, health care, access to capital and regulatory oversight. - ASHA’s advocacy has emphasized state-based oversight of assisted living while supporting policies that encourage investment and innovation. - The book also spotlights long-running ASHA initiatives that shaped the profession. - The State of Seniors Housing has been published annually since 1992 and provides financial and operational benchmarks. - The ASHA 50 ranks the nation’s largest seniors housing owners and operators and dates to 1994. - The Seniors Housing State Regulatory Handbook provides information on state licensure and regulatory requirements. - Where You Live Matters launched in 2016 as a nonprofit, unbiased digital platform that connects older adults and families with senior living communities without referral fees. - The Rising Leaders program began in 2016 to support the next generation of senior living professionals. - The Senior Living Hall of Fame launched in 2018 to recognize industry leaders and visionaries. - ASHA’s mission is to serve as a trusted resource for consumers, policymakers and industry leaders while raising awareness of senior living, advancing advocacy and supporting research and education. - The association says the anniversary publication also serves as a tribute to the people and organizations that contributed to its first 35 years.

Between the lines: - The book is not just a look back. It is also a signal that ASHA wants to shape the next phase of the market as competition, affordability pressures and care preferences evolve. - ASHA’s push to expand Where You Live Matters suggests the association sees consumer trust and public education as a bigger part of the sector’s future. - The strategic plan points to a broader agenda: stronger political engagement, wider access and affordability, deeper research capacity and more proactive public understanding of senior living. - David Schless, ASHA’s founding president and CEO, said the association’s small team, industry partners and volunteer leaders have helped position the industry to better serve older adults. - Schless said the new strategic plan provides a roadmap to amplify ASHA’s work for developers, owners and operators of housing options for the next generation of older adults.

What's next: - ASHA will use its 2027-2031 strategic plan to guide advocacy, member policy engagement and organizational priorities. - The association plans to strengthen political engagement, expand access and affordability, advance research capabilities and encourage more public understanding of senior living. - ASHA says its long-term goal is to help make senior living a preferred lifestyle choice where older adults can live longer with purpose, connection and vitality.

The bottom line: - ASHA is using its 35th anniversary to celebrate its influence so far and to position itself for a more competitive, policy-driven future in senior living. - The organization also links its next chapter to a larger demographic shift as the U.S. population ages. - More information is available at ASHA.