Thud. Another fat government report hits the desk. Despite an urge to file it with the coffee grounds, this one’s worth a quick read. “Housing our Elders” assesses the current state of senior housing.
Generally, the report confirms what we already know, or have long suspected, based on our own experience of trying to find decent senior housing at a reasonable cost. In short, there isn’t enough to go around.
Obvious conclusions aside, the report’s statistics alone are enough to make you stop and think. For instance:
– High housing costs are the most widespread housing problem among older Americans. More than 7.4 million households–30 percent of all elderly households–pay more than they can afford for housing.
– 1.45 million senior households live in housing that needs repair.
– One-fifth of older Americans are overhoused. They live in a dwelling where bedrooms outnumber household members by more than one. These households are mostly older people who continue to live in the home in which they raised their children.
– About 1.7 million elders with low incomes are in urgent need of affordable housing.
– About 807,000 elderly homeowners are “cost burdened” or paying a large chunk of their incomes for housing. Half of those who are struggling are paying off a mortgage; the other half have paid off their mortgage but can’t keep up with the other costs of home ownership, such as taxes and regular repairs.
– Older Americans live in old houses. Half of all those in elderly households live in dwellings built before 1960.
– There are 892,000 low-income seniors whose rent consumes more than 50 percent of their incomes.
– Approximately 1.1 million elderly households say their homes need modification. One in eight households headed by a person age 85 or older needs functional modifications to their home. The demand for such changes is likely to increase as older, frailer persons become a larger share of the elderly population.
– There is a shortage of accessible housing. Grab bars are the only home feature that has penetrated the housing market to any significant extent.
– Although the government assists 1.5 million elderly low-income renter households with rent subsidies or housing, there is still not enough such assistance available.
So what about that obvious conclusion that there isn’t enough good senior housing? Based on the findings of the report, the government has developed a plan, some parts of which will be implemented this year, to address senior housing issues.
“We are adjusting our housing programs to make them work for the enormous explosion of elderly population,” said Shaun Donovan, special assistant, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, D.C.
In particular, most of the government’s new housing initiatives are designed to help seniors age in place, Donovan said.
The reasoning goes that seniors want to stay in their own homes. Also, the government believes it’s cheaper to help seniors stay put rather than pay for expensive, and possibly unnecessary, nursing home care. So the government is trying to provide more services on site in order to help seniors stay where they are.
This year, HUD has made three big changes to its housing programs for the elderly.
– About $50 million has been allocated to expand the so-called service coordinator program. This program gives money to subsidized seniors-only buildings to hire someone to help seniors connect with community services. For instance, if a senior has to stop driving, the service coordinator in the senior’s building would help him or her find transportation. The coordinator also helps residents find appropriate health care. (Note: This doesn’t mean all subsidized buildings will have service coordinators. Buildings must apply for the money to hire a coordinator.)
– Currently, about 250,000 seniors use government Section 8 housing vouchers to pay their rent. Previously, these vouchers could only be used to rent an apartment. But now, Section 8 vouchers can be used at assisted living facilities.
In other words, the government has put more flexibility in the voucher program by allowing assisted living facilities to accept vouchers. Because assisted living facilities charge rent for a room and a monthly fee for services, Section 8 vouchers would be used only to pay rent. The service fee would be paid by Medicaid. (Note: Not all states allow Medicaid payments for assisted living facilities.)
– About $50 million has been set aside to convert a portion of apartments in subsidized buildings into assisted living units. The thinking here is that most subsidized seniors-only buildings were built 30 years ago. Many of the residents have lived there for 20 years or longer and are now in their 80s, an age when most people are likely to need some assistance.
Instead of moving these people into new facilities, the government wants subsidized buildings to apply for money in order to make modifications. The money might be spent for a new dining room or a health office. Floors could be reconfigured to accommodate nurses or aides.
Going forward, the government will work to strengthen the link between housing and services.
“We have to reach out to state health and human services departments,” said Donovan.
In other words, senior housing doesn’t work well unless it’s coupled with lots of different services from transportation to health care. Nothing we didn’t know before, but it’s nice to see it in print.
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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding housing for senior citizens, write to Senior Housing c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill., 60611. Or e-mail adler@megsinet.net
