Ecumen Helping Churches Realize Senior Housing Opportunities in an Aging America
We’ve seen a few successful ventures in Northern Virginia with this kind of model. One developer I spoke with said he had investors clammoring to be involved because the profit margins and ROI were so compelling. It is a great way to benefit the entire community and keep affordable senior living facilities near the occupants families. The following is an excerpt from a press release for a Lutheran senior housing partnership.
Lutheran senior housing partnership provides model for expanding ministries and revenues.
Sandpoint, ID, February 12, 2009 –(PR.com)– http://www.ecumen.org – Churches, such as First Lutheran Church in Sandpoint, Idaho, and their senior housing development partner Ecumen, see aging as an opportunity to help people live better and expand ministries. The two recently collaborated on Luther Park at Sandpoint, a new senior housing community that opened in December 2008.
“We saw a greater purpose for the vacant land adjacent to our church than simply selling it to the highest bidder,” said Pastor Olson. “We wanted to build upon the Great Commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself and the Great Commission of spreading Jesus’ word and work. That led to our congregational vision of creating this community that will keep seniors vitally engaged in our church, will nurture multi-generational relationships, and will help us realize new revenue streams that will support and help us to expand our ministry.”
Ecumen, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and one of the country’s largest non-profit senior housing, services and development companies, led development of Luther Park of Sandpoint and now manages it for First Lutheran Church, which owns Luther Park.
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