The setting

Just beyond the boundaries of Atlanta, the town of East Point has many of the amenities and challenges of an urban area, yet the charm of its Main Street still lends it the air of a small town. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport lies partly within the jurisdiction, and many renowned R&B and hip-hop musicians have called East Point home.

Also living in this community of 40,000 are some 3,000 adults over the age of 65. The senior population is about 55 percent Caucasian and 43 percent African-American, and most people (78 percent) own their homes in generally stable neighborhoods. With 42 percent of older residents having lived in the same place for more than three decades, local ties are strong, and there is a tradition of community involvement.

But there is also a high concentration of poverty here (about 14 percent among those over 65), and the homes are aging, along with their owners. The vast majority lives in single-family residences that are at least 35 years old. More...