Susan Mack & Mac Kennedy
2004 NAHB Gold Award for
Chapel Grove Community,
The Jerry McClain Company,
Newark, Ohio
As an Occupational Therapist for over thirty five years, Susan Mack, founder of Homes for Easy Living®, has been assisting people who are facing challenges in their homes as their health and abilities change. After twenty years of addressing the challenges of specific clients, she realized the design recommendations she was making created homes that were better for all people, not just those who had current needs for modifications. In 1992, she began to work with builders and government agencies to improve the way we build new homes by incorporating the Principles of Universal Design. Universal Design is a human-centered approach to creating products and environments that accommodate human differences and changes throughout the lifetime and enhance safety, health and well being for all.
In 2001 and 2004, Homes for Easy Living® received the Gold Awards from the National Association of Home Builders in their “Best of Seniors’ Housing Design” competition in the category of “Aging in Place”. In addition to working with great developers and architects, it was the integration of her healthcare education and experience that allowed her to achieve these honors.
Professional Achievements
2007 Finalist in AARP / NAHB new “Livable Communities” design competition.
2007 & 2006 Recognition by the 50+ Builder magazine as one of the “top 50 executives who are transforming seniors’ housing into a cutting edge and diversified sector of the residential building market”.
2006 Worked with the City of Murrieta, CA to create a Universal Design building code.
2005 Worked with the Director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee to add universal design to the tax credit builder incentive program.
2002 Worked with the Director of the California Department of Housing & Community Development to create legislation for a universal design model building ordinance (Assembly Bill 2787).
Recipient of the 2001 & 2004 Gold Awards in the “Best of Seniors’ Housing Design” competitions sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders in the category of “Aging-In-Place with Universal Design”.
Received the 2001 “Program of the Year” SAGE Award from the Seniors’ Housing Council of Southern California
