Arizona has long been home to some of the nation’s most iconic 55+ communities — places like Sun City, Sun Lakes, and Trilogy, where golf carts rule the roads and pickleball is practically a religion. These communities are designed to offer a peaceful, senior-oriented lifestyle, often complete with clubhouses, pools, and HOA-managed yards.
A big part of that “quiet living” model has traditionally included restrictions on who can live there — specifically limiting minors under 18 from residing in the community full-time.
But here’s the issue: the world has changed.
In 2025, the idea of a “senior” isn’t what it was in 1960 when these communities first popped up. People are starting families later in life.
Many 55 or 65-year-olds today have teenagers still at home. Others have custody of grandchildren, foster kids, or stepchildren. And yet, most 55+ communities either prohibit or severely restrict having anyone under 18 live in the home. Some allow visits, but cap them at 90 days a year — like Sun City — and others have even tighter restrictions.
So what does this mean for the future of these communities?
On one hand, these rules are meant to preserve a specific lifestyle: quiet, adult-oriented, and free from the noise and unpredictability that sometimes comes with kids. And many residents bought into these neighborhoods for exactly that reason.
But on the other hand, we’re now bordering on a form of age-based family segregation that doesn’t reflect the complexity of modern households.
It raises important questions:
• Should a 55-year-old single parent be prohibited from buying a home in a community simply because they have a 16-year-old child?
• If a grandparent has custody of a grandchild, are they forced to choose between affordable senior housing and keeping their family together?
• Does the term “senior living” now mean 80+, while 55 and 65-year-olds are still actively working, raising families, and starting new chapters of life?
Is it time for change?
Some experts believe it is. The 55+ community model is built on the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), which allows age restrictions to legally exist as long as at least 80% of the occupied units have at least one person aged 55 or older. However, communities could choose to relax restrictions on children living there while still preserving the overall adult-centric environment — through things like designated quiet hours, community guidelines, and amenities still focused on adults.
Otherwise, these communities risk becoming obsolete.
If today’s active 55+ buyers can’t bring their families or live the lifestyle they actually have, they may start seeking alternatives in mixed-age neighborhoods with amenities, leaving traditional retirement communities to an increasingly narrow demographic. And as life expectancy and family dynamics shift, so must the housing options.
Final Thought
At The Grandon Group, we see this issue first hand — helping buyers navigate communities where the rules might not fit their lives, or where one overlooked restriction derails a dream home purchase. We believe in preserving lifestyle communities while recognizing that today’s 55 isn’t yesterday’s 55. It’s time for a thoughtful conversation about what senior living really means in the 21st century.
The Grandon Group can be reached at www.THEGRANDONGROUP.com or call Arizona;'s #1 Brother and Sister Team
JASON: 480-276-2954
Stacey: 602-312-5610
