Letters to the Editor
Letter to the editor | Delays stand in the way of senior housing
As more than 3.6 million Americans turn 65 each year, the United States is entering a rapidly escalating senior housing crisis with no coordinated state or national plan. Older adults are now among the fastest-growing homeless populations. With millions more reaching retirement age annually, advocates warn that without clear policies, coordinated planning, and safeguards against age-based exclusion, the crisis will only worsen.
Over the past decade, more than 800 skilled nursing and nursing home facilities have closed across the United States. These closures are not being replaced. This is not a market correction—it is a collapse in access.
The consequences of this failure are already visible in communities across the country.
In Pierce County, those concerns have become concrete. The county recently adopted new zoning definitions that effectively bar senior housing in rural and semi-rural communities. Housing advocates say these restrictive policies — combined with prolonged bureaucratic delays — are worsening the housing shortage, raising serious concerns about age discrimination, and potentially conflicting with federal fair housing protections, including the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995.
At the center of the dispute is Kensington Gardens, an elder-focused housing community founded by Kelly and Mark Watson on their 27-acre Gig Harbor properties. The concept was designed to provide dignified, home-like housing for older adults, including couples who want to age together. The vision extended beyond one group of homes to a sustainable care model in which the Watsons’ foundation would help support elders with little or no financial resources, reducing dependence on Medicaid.
What began as a straightforward request — to plat 23 acres into five lots — became a bureaucratic labyrinth. A routine land-division application turned into years of hearings, shifting interpretations, and extended delays.
Although the Pierce County Advisory Commission recommended approval of the plat in March 2024, nearly one year and eight months later the Pierce County Hearing Examiner denied the plat, despite its compliance with county regulations and prior approvals. That decision has since been formally appealed.
The delays were compounded by opposition from a vocal neighbor who launched social and news media campaigns alleging illegality, zoning violations, and misconduct. While those claims were repeatedly clarified — and the Department of Social and Health Services administrative claim was dismissed and the AFH was reinstated — the allegations continued to circulate, shaping public perception and contributing to prolonged and costly county reviews.
These actions deepen the senior housing shortage. If housing for elders can be stopped by pressure from just a few people, much-needed housing will never be built.
Our elders deserve homes. They deserve compassion, dignity, and belonging — not exclusion. What’s happening here should alarm everyone.
Kelly Watson
Founder & Owner, Kensington Gardens Resort Community