Omaha nonprofit completes the 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant program
Rendering of an OurStory Small Houses development. Image: FACT.
Omaha and Lincoln, Neb. – Omaha-based nonprofit Partners for Livable Omaha completed a year of work on its OurStory Small Houses program, which included piloting an architectural internship program and hosting a design exhibition, funded by a 2025 AARP Community Challenge grant and others.
OurStory Small Houses are prototype aging-ready homes that seek affordability at the intersection of design, finance, and policy. For more information on the program, which began in 2024, visit www.livable.org/ourstory.
To advance the OurStory project in 2025, Livable Omaha partnered with Actual Architecture Co. and the UNL College of Architecture to create a year-round architectural internship program. Together, they provide young, Nebraska-based architects with advanced training, mentorship, and opportunities to work on real-world, aging-ready, and innovative housing design and construction projects.
The project has trained and mentored 34 architecture students since August 2024, and started construction on two OurStory single-family houses in 2025.
“This investment in training and mentoring Nebraska-based architects ensures a pipeline of professionals who understand aging-in-place principles and will carry those skills throughout their careers,” said Todd Stubbendieck, AARP Nebraska State Director. “By focusing on local talent and practical solutions, the program is building capacity that benefits the entire state.”
Designed by the UNL College of Architecture’s FACT studio, under the mentorship of architect Jeff Day, OurStory designs fill a gap in the market for aging-ready, small house designs that are constructible, financeable, environmentally sustainable and empowering.
FACT studio students showcased their work from the fall 2025 semester through a design exhibition, “OurStory: Building Aging-Ready Housing at Scale.” The exhibition, supported by the AARP grant and others, was hosted in December 2025 at Joslyn Castle and Gardens in Omaha.
Livable Omaha’s executive director Jessica Scheuerman, and her daughter Willa, making a site from toy houses of OurStory design concepts at the “OurStory: Building Aging-Ready Housing at Scale” exhibition. Photo: Colin Conces.
Professor and architect Jeff Day at the “OurStory” exhibition. Photo: Colin Conces.
Design concept for “Davenport” house, designed by UNL student December Thomas during the fall 2025 semester. Image: FACT.
According to AARP, the U.S. population is rapidly aging, with 1 in 5 Americans to be 65 or older by 2030. In Nebraska, 94% of Nebraskans age 45 and older say staying in their homes as they age is extremely or very important.
Yet only 1% of existing homes have all of the following key accessibility features: a zero-step entrance, single-story living, wide halls and doorways, lever-style handles, and electrical controls that are accessible from a wheelchair.
“This project is important because there is a lack of diversity in the housing that is available, especially in the Omaha area,” said Asa DeWitt, UNL College of Architecture student who worked on the project during the fall 2025 semester.
“We are figuring out how to produce a kit-of-parts system that is replicable, so we can create a different type of housing that is affordable and will work at scale,” said DeWitt.
Rendering of an OurStory Small Houses cottage court development in an aerial view. Image: FACT.
OurStory Small Houses are designed for all ages and stages of life.
OurStory designs can function as standalone small homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to existing homes, and small homes within cottage courts and cluster communities.
In 2026, together with its partners – and powered by its architectural internship program – Livable Omaha is launching an OurStory Small Houses catalog. The project will be providing house plans and design services to catalyze small, aging-ready housing construction projects.
"Others can use construction innovations developed and pre-tested by our team, and embrace designs that make life easier for all people,” said Jessica Scheuerman, executive director of Livable Omaha. “Our work creates new opportunities for builders and developers focused on a variety of housing needs — workforce housing, affordable housing, accessible housing, aging-ready housing, infill housing, and gentle density developments."
Design concept for “Olive” house, designed by UNL student Niukra Aguilera. Image: FACT.
The AARP Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages, with an emphasis on people ages 50 and older.
To learn more about the projects funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation, including all 383 granted projects this year, visit AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.
You can also view an interactive map of current and past AARP Community Challenge projects and AARP’s Livable Communities work at AARP.org/LivableMap.
Founded in 2020, Partners for Livable Omaha is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the livability of communities throughout the Omaha metro. Learn more at www.livable.org.
Press contact: Kaylea Kuhlman at kaylea@livable.org
