The Department of Housing and Urban this week released $40 million in new funding for service coordination programs in affordable senior housing.

This is the first service coordinator funding opportunity in 10 years, according to LeadingAge. The organization said it was “instrumental in securing the funds for the much-anticipated expansion of HUD’s Service Coordination programs.”

The grants will fund approximately 160 programs across the country.

“Service coordinators play a critical role in helping people in HUD-assisted housing navigate everyday challenges and reach long-term stability,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said previously. “This funding opportunity will ensure more individuals and families can access local tools and resources that meet them at their point of need.”

A 2015 study by LeadingAge and the Lewin Group found that the availability of an on-site service coordinator, such as a social worker, at federally subsidized seniors housing reduced hospital admissions among residents by 18%. More recent studies found that service coordinators improved affordable senior housing resident resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coordinators provide case management, information and referral services; advocate for residents; establish partnerships with community agencies; and educate housing management staff.

The average annual salary for full-time affordable housing coordinators is $46,896, according to a 2023 report from the American Association of Service Coordinators. That amount is up from a range of $39,000 to $42,000 reported in the group’s 2019 survey, but the increase represented little change, due to inflation, according to report author Melissa Harris, AASC director of government affairs.

The new HUD grants for service coordination programs may be used for salaries, training, benefits, travel, computers and other office necessities. The funds may not be used for management fees, food and beverages, gifts to staff or residents, or computer equipment not used by the service coordinator.

The deadline to apply for the funding is March 11.