WASHINGTON, March 4 -- America's expanding 55+ population will be the focus of the 2002 Seniors Housing Symposium, Building for Boomers and Beyond: Redefining Youth, Redesigning Housing. Presented by the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Seniors Housing Council, the event will take place May 1-3 at the Caribe Royale Resort Suites & Villas in Orlando, Fla.

Hundreds of builders, architects, marketers, sales professionals and others interested in building for the 55+ home buyer are expected to attend the symposium that is intended to help them reach this influential age group. The first wave of boomers - 3.2 million in all - turned 55 in 2001. In the next five years, 18 million more will turn 55. The symposium will explore the evolving housing needs and interests of this population segment, which accounts for one-fifth of all home buyers and boasts the highest home ownership rates of any age group.

"The boomer generation has rewritten the book on housing," said Antonio Giordano, Jr., chairman of the NAHB Seniors Housing Council and a home builder from Providence, R.I. "As their story unfolds, one thing is certain: boomers' expectations about their housing needs are different from any generation before them. Home buyers in the 55+ age group are healthier and wealthier than ever, and they expect their housing choices to reflect their active, independent lifestyles," he said.

Building for Boomers and Beyond will cover the 55+ housing market from every possible angle. Educational programs will feature topics on design innovations for single-family and multifamily products, project development, research, trends and special needs of seniors who want to "age in place."

"Education at the symposium is targeted at companies of all sizes, including those starting to build for the 55+ home buyer as well as those that are already active in the adult housing market," said Leslie Marks, executive director of the NAHB Seniors Housing Council. "The goal is to give building professionals the tools and information they need to finance, design, plan, build and market for active adult, independent living, retirement and resort communities."

One of the highlights of the symposium will be the keynote presentation by William D. Novelli, chief executive officer of the AARP. Novelli will address AARP's independent living agenda and the role home builders play in meeting the changing needs and expectations of the boomer generation.

The symposium will include a variety of exhibits, roundtable discussions with industry experts, a bus tour of cutting-edge active adult communities in the thriving Orlando area, social events and networking opportunities.

In addition, Building for Boomers and Beyond will serve as the kick-off of the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation course for remodelers interested in specializing in home modifications for an aging population. The course was developed under the leadership of the NAHB Remodelors(tm) Council and Seniors Housing Council and authored by the NAHB Research Center in collaboration with AARP and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The NAHB Seniors Housing Council provides information on seniors housing and networking opportunities for its members and represents NAHB within the seniors housing industry.

To register or for more information about the Seniors Housing Symposium 2002, call (800) 368-5242, ext. 8474, or visit the Web site at www.ncosh.com/build4boomers. Those who register by March 24 will save $100 off the full registration fee. Companies registering more than one attendee will receive additional discounts.

ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 205,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. Known as "the voice of the housing industry," NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB's builder members will construct about 80 percent of the almost 1.6 million new housing units projected for 2002, making housing one of the largest and most powerful engines of economic growth in the country.