elderadvocare

An elder cottage housing opportunity, or ECHO, is a small housing unit that can be installed in a backyard on a temporary basis and is most commonly used to accommodate older adults. ECHO housing units are self-contained prefab homes ranging in size between 400 and 800 square feet that allow someone to remain largely independent while still living within earshot of their family or care provider. ECHO housing usually includes all the amenities of a house including a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room, but on a much smaller scale than traditional homes may offer. They first gained popularity in Australia, where they’re known as granny flats in the 1970s, but ECHO housing caught on in the United States in the late 1980s and has since been promoted by AARP as an inexpensive housing solution for older adults.