Shelterforce Article Highlights Strengths and Gaps in Housing Policies Targeting Older Adults

By Julie Walker, NLIHC Project Manager, Opportunity Starts Home

Shelterforce, an independent newsroom that serves affordable housing and community development practitioners, published an article, “Everyone Supports Aging in Place. But Can We Actually Deliver It?” examining how housing policies are responding to the needs of an aging society to support safe, affordable, and socially connected housing for older adults who want to age in place. The author finds that while a range of state, local, and national supports exist to help older adults remain in their homes, these policies and programs are often underfunded, inconsistent, and disconnected from each other. While federal programs face uncertain funding and staffing shortages, state efforts to break down sector silos among housing, aging, health, and social service agencies are a promising approach to effectively meeting the needs of older adults.  

National surveys from AARP, an Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) Roundtable member, find that about 75% of older adults want to stay in their homes or communities as they age. While a variety of supports exist to help aging adults with mobility, health, and financial needs, these supports often operate in silos and with limited funding. The article highlights local, state, and national programs that keep homes safe to live in, reduce housing costs, provide social services and reduce isolation, and provide in-home care.  

Adults over the age of 65 tend to live in older and larger homes that need repairs, and accessibility modifications are often necessary to prevent injuries and allow older adults to independently manage daily living tasks. Older adults with low incomes have a difficult time affording repairs, maintenance, and home modifications, and programs that provide free or low-cost services provide the support needed to remain in place. Habitat for Humanity is a prominent national nonprofit provider of free home repairs and accessibility accommodations, but many home repair programs operate locally and often through partnerships between community organizations and state or local governments. With limited funding available, these programs often struggle to meet community needs.  

Property taxes, rising home insurance costs, and utility bills are key financial barriers to aging in place. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides a critical safety-net resource by funding local energy assistance programs, but it and other federal energy programs face uncertain future funding. To make homes more energy efficient, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) provides services at no cost and prioritizes low-income older adults and other vulnerable groups. 

In-home support is necessary for many older adults to age in place, but caregiver workforce shortages, strains on unpaid family caregivers, and unaffordable services make this option difficult to establish. Low-income older adults may qualify for multiple housing, Medicaid, and SNAP programs, but access is challenging to navigate across siloed program areas. The federal Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a comprehensive and effective approach to free in-home individualized care coordination for Medicaid and Medicare recipients but currently operates in only 33 states and has restrictive provider requirements.  

While federal assistance for older adults’ housing needs is available, these programs face barriers to effective implementation. The “Older American Acts” (OAA) is foundational federal legislation authorizing grants to states and community organizations for services to support independent living, but funding and staffing to support the act are uncertain due to significant staffing cuts and the dissolution of the Administration for Community Living. HUD’s Older Adult Home Modification Program has shown positive outcomes but has not issued a new grant opportunity in two years. One promising step toward program improvement is the introduction of the “Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act” (S.2612/H.R.1171), which would provide no-cost falls screening and prevention services to older adults. Amidst federal uncertainty, more states are working to break down sector silos and implementing or considering multisector plans for aging.  

Read the article.  

To learn more about the connections between housing and aging, read the OSAH fact sheet.