A coalition of national organizations is calling on Congress to support “robust funding” to meet the affordable housing needs of older adults.
In a letter to House and Senate appropriations committee members, groups including LeadingAge, SAGE and the National Council on Aging called for full and timely renewal funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fiscal year 2024 funding bill.
Meeting housing needs for 1.9 million older adults households in HUD’s Section 202 Supportive House for the Elderly, Project-Based Rental Assistance, public housing and Housing Choice voucher programs is “of utmost importance,” they said.
Specifically, the group urged Congress to expand the supply of affordable senior housing through $600 million for new capital grants and operating subsidies for 5,400 new Section 202 homes. They also asked for $100 million for 400 new three-year service coordinator grants in HUD-assisted housing to help residents stay connected to community services.
“Residents of HUD’s Section 202 program have average annual household incomes of $15,208, and the program’s nonprofit providers often maintain waiting lists of two to five years or more to live in SEction 202 communities,” the letter reads.
The coalition pointed to HUD’s most recent “Worst Case Housing Needs: 2021 Report to Congress,” which showed an “alarming” 68% increase of “worst case housing needs” among older adult households between 2009 and 2019. That number increased 16% alone between 2017 and 2019.
“Older adults are one of the fastest-growing groups of people experiencing homelessness, and single adults over 50 now make up half of the homeless population,” according to testimony last month from US Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Jeff Olivet.
Last month, House Democrats asked the federal government to fully renew fiscal year 2024 funding for affordable senior housing as well as another $1 billion to build additional homes for older adults.
The White House also chimed in, calling proposed cuts by Republican lawmakers to discretionary programs in the FY24 budget a “five-alarm fire” for older adults.”
