HUD Awards $15M to Help Seniors Age in Place

As more Americans experience the “lock-in” effect where homeowners are staying put due to not wanting to move and take out a loan at a higher mortgage rate, more and more older homeowners are choosing to age in place in the comfort of their own homes versus moving to some sort of senior community or assisted living facility. 

Knowing this, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $15 million to 13 separate nonprofit organizations and state government entities to assist in undertaking comprehensive programs that make safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs to meet the needs of lower-income homeowners—most likely on a fixed Social Security income—so they can comfortably age in place. 

The organizations the $15 million is going to have proven track records of helping seniors and the funds are expected to deliver home modifications to over 1,900 individuals and families in both rural and urban areas. 

“By providing a pathway for more older adults to stay in their homes, we are helping to improve lives and ensuring the opportunity for seniors to age with dignity,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. 

“There is a strong connection between health and housing,” said Matthew Ammon, Director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes. “These grants provide a critical resource to communities to make low-cost, low barrier, high impact home modifications tailored to the needs of the residents.” 

The rural awards range from $1,248,216 for the Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, Inc, in Delaware to modify 180 units to $702,068 to the Appalachia Service Project in Tennessee to renovate 105 units. 

Urban awards range from $1,250,000 for the Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley, Inc, neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles in California, and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities in Minnesota to renovate 641 units to $603,693 to the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity to renovate 80 units. 

Click here to see a list of projects the funds are specifically funding.