Inside the controversial new way luxury senior homes are solving the waitlist crisis

At some of the country’s most sought-after senior living communities, the problem is no longer attracting residents — it’s figuring out what to do with the hundreds of people waiting years, sometimes decades, to get in. 

With demand surging and new development lagging, a growing number of luxury operators are overhauling the traditional waitlist, turning it into a structured, paid entry system that offers early access, certainty and — critics note — a price tag that can climb well into six figures.

One of the most aggressive examples is RoseVilla Senior Living, a continuing care retirement community outside Portland, Oregon, where unit turnover is so slow that some prospective residents were effectively waiting indefinitely.

Last year, the nonprofit introduced a program that reorganized its waitlist into paid participation levels, ranging from a basic deposit to premium options that allow participants to move to the front of the line.

“That really became what we felt was a manageable program and a realistic time frame for people that would ultimately be 12 to 15 years … on the bottom of the list,” Glen Lewis , CEO at Rosevilla told, Senior Housing News.

The approach has had an immediate financial and operational impact. 

Since launching the program, RoseVilla has reduced its waitlist from 458 names to about 300 and generated more than $1.8 million tied to future entrance fees. Specifically, residents pay into service tiers ranging from the $3,000 deposit needed to even secure a spot on the waitlist, to $90,000, which allows members to move to the top of the waitlist.

Its most exclusive spots, which is limited in number and designed to guarantee a much shorter, wait filled in less than two weeks.

“It’s enhancing our cash flow, and at the same time, it’s creating peace of mind for future residents because there’s a significant deposit that they’ve put down and they’ve been financially qualified,” Lewis said.

RoseVilla is not alone. As occupancy rises nationwide and operators struggle to expand, others are experimenting with similar models that blur the line between waiting list and early residency. 

Nashville-based Blakeford Senior Life rolled out its Emerald Circle program last year, charging a monthly fee that gives participants access to community activities, on-site services and credits toward future entrance costs.

The program has already brought in between $50,000 and $75,000 in added revenue, according to Blakeford’s sales and marketing team, while offering what one executive described as the chance to sample a “country club lifestyle without having to move in yet.”

“In a 90-day satisfaction survey, an Emerald Circle member reported accessing fitness assessments, social events, exercise classes and resource and service referrals, rating their experience as ‘excellent’ and being ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the Emerald Circle program to a friend,” Carolyn Picton, director of sales and marketing, said. 

Dallas-based Frontier Senior Living has taken a less formal but equally strategic route. 

While it doesn’t maintain traditional waitlists, the company regularly invites prospective residents to chef-led dinners, wellness programming and seasonal events — experiences designed to build familiarity and loyalty long before a unit opens up.

“This approach allows future residents to begin building relationships with our team and their future neighbors well before move-in, creating a smoother and more welcoming transition when their home becomes available,” Shane Stricker, director of marketing communications, told Senior Housing News. 

Behind the scenes, operators say the revamped waitlists are doing more than easing bottlenecks or boosting revenue — they’re reshaping how communities plan for the future. Frontier uses feedback from prospective residents to track preferred layouts, timelines and amenity demand — information that can help shorten vacancies and fine-tune marketing.

“This information helps us match future availability more intentionally, fill openings more quickly and minimize downtime,” Christina Perales said, adding that it also informs how communities are positioned to prospective residents.

At RoseVilla, the data is already influencing bricks-and-mortar decisions. 

According to Lewis, most participants in the highest-access group are seeking larger homes — a preference that only a fraction of the existing inventory currently meets. 

A newly acquired parcel of land will now be developed with that demand in mind, adding independent and assisted living units along with new shared spaces over the next two years.

“Now that we have this type of wait list and we can engage with it differently, we have a better way of even getting more information out of that wait list that helps inform future development, future programming and future engagement with our residents,” Lewis said.

As the supply of senior housing continues to lag population trends, Lewis expects these programs to expand rather than fade — even as they spark debate over access and affordability.

“We’ll fall far short of that nationally to build on a regular basis,” he said. “And so I think that with that funnel getting tighter and tighter and tighter, and people wanting to make selections and understand the sense of security of where they’re going, I think there’s a mutual benefit for both parties to be able to do that … the waitlist is an untapped resource for both parties.”