There is a lack of a strong support system for aging here and everywhere in the US, and it is especially hard for someone in the financial middle. That’s why Life Plan Humboldt has tried to set pricing at a level that would be accessible to people who are at Humboldt County median income levels. There is no government program to help build the kind of community we want. We have to pay for the construction and staffing. We wish it were otherwise.

It is not easy or cheap getting old. If you have seen the financial and physical impact to family and friends piecing together care for a loved one, you would know how difficult it is to get experienced professional caregivers. As a rural community, many of us live away from the city centers. Isolation increases as it gets harder to drive. We want to build a vibrant community that makes getting older more manageable (and even fun). Social connections, help managing the medical system, physical and intellectual stimulation, with support if we need it – this option for senior living does not exist within 200 miles of Humboldt.

Knowing that local people are an active, self-reliant bunch who want to stay independent as much as possible, LPH will feature private residences, both cottages and apartments, so you can choose how you want to participate. In the Humboldt tradition of creating new solutions, this will be a unique mixed-income income Life Plan Community. The lowest entry fee at LPH is projected to be $266,000, within reach of middle-income residents. We will even have lower-income homes on campus through a partnership with an affordable housing developer. Life Plan Humboldt may not work for everyone, but the strong support we have received from the community shows that it will work for many.