Kathy Metcalf, president of the Bastrop Community Senior Center, is pleased that developers have targeted Bastrop for affordable housing.
“My mother is 84, and her rent went up from $800 to $1,250,” she said during an Oct. 21 Bastrop City Council meeting. “She makes $1,700 a month. I subsidize her, but there’s only so much money I make.”
A desire for upscale senior homes was also identified for the Bastrop County area.
“For the longest time, Bastrop was on our radar,” said Bryan Beil, vice president of land acquisition for PulteGroup—the builders working on Del Webb Lost Pines. “Its proximity to the airport, small-town charm and just the number of 55-plus households in this area made it feel like a great opportunity.”
What we know
In addition to newcomers, the number of those aging in Bastrop is growing.
Over the past two decades, the share of residents age 65 and older rose from about 10% in 2000 to 21% in 2025, according to data obtained from the Bastrop Economic Development Corp.
That spike has contributed to a rise in memberships at the Bastrop Community Senior Center at 1209 Linden St., Bldg. 1, and an increased demand for age-friendly services and housing.
Pine Creek Senior Apartments and Del Webb Lost Pines are among the developments that plan to ensure those Bastrop residents have more housing options.
Phase 1 of Pine Creek Senior Apartments will feature 52 units—36 one-bedroom and 16 two-bedroom residences—ranging from 700-900 square feet for residents age 55 years and older.
Rent will be based on the area’s median income, with units reserved for residents making 30%, 50% and 60% of the area median income, according to developers Elizabeth Property Group. For Bastrop, that would range from $28,150-$56,220.
“Affordable housing for seniors is near and dear to my heart,” said project developer Jason Knotowicz, a founding member of Vigilance Development Group.
The $15 million project is expected to begin in early 2026 and be completed by July 30, 2027.
Other developments, such as Del Webb Lost Pines, are advertising homes that begin in the low $300,000s.
The brand under PulteGroup, which has constructed dozens of active adult communities across the country, broke ground in July on its latest residential space for residents age 55 years and older.
Located in The Colony, the multiphase development will feature 503 lots with homes ranging from 1,200-3,000 square feet. Pablo Rivas, division president of PulteGroup Central Texas, noted that Del Webb Lost Pines is about building more than a beautiful house.
“It’s about creating a place where people truly belong,” he said.
Several local officials have discussed the importance of these affordable housing options for seniors, including Donna Nichols, Bastrop Public Health Department director.
“As we’re starting to see a lot of our rural [areas] disappear with new housing developments, we need to ask, ‘How do we as a county start thinking about healthy, safe and affordable homes?’” she said.
The Bastrop County Collaborative for Housing and Health hosted a series of community workshops in late August to begin that conversation. The feedback will be compiled into a report that will go into the hands of potential developers, local officials, nonprofit organizations and the public.
“Everybody deserves a place to call home,” Nichols said.
