Occupancy in Senior Housing Hits 15-year Low on Pandemic Fears

Occupancy in senior housing has hit a 15-year low with families bringing loved ones home, and some centers either limiting new residents or being unable to attract them given the threat to older Americans from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2008, the number of assisted living facilities and independent living centers have seen unrelenting growth, jumping 33% to more than 8,000 nationally. But Covid-19 has added a puzzling new twist for the industry and consumers. Occupancy slid 2.8 percentage points to 84.9% in the second quarter, the largest quarterly drop and the lowest rate since the National Investment Center for Seniors ...