Increased Access to Affordable Housing for Seniors. In January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $150 million in available funding to create new deeply affordable housing for seniors with extremely low incomes through the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program. The program supports the construction of new rental homes, as well as their ongoing management and affordability through long-term project-based rental assistance. This will expand access to critically-needed affordable housing for our nation’s seniors.

Provided COVID-19 Vaccinations and Testing for Elderly Residents of HUD-Assisted Housing. President Biden delivered on his promise to expand the supply of COVID-19 vaccines and to make every person age 16 and older eligible for vaccines. However, too many Americans — especially older Americans — continue to face barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccines. On Friday, April 30, the Secretaries of HUD and HHS issued a joint letter directing community health centers and HUD’s network of housing agencies, housing owners, and programs to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and testing to HUD-assisted households, including elderly residents in HUD’s senior and public housing. HUD and HHS regional and field staff will facilitate these partnerships, including coordinating on-site vaccine clinics in HUD-assisted housing serving the elderly.

Expanded Nutrition Assistance for Low-Income Seniors. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides nutritious, domestically-sourced USDA foods to low-income persons 60 years or older. The American Rescue Plan provided nearly $37 million to expand the reach of CSFP by fulfilling all 2021 requests from states to serve more seniors and adding the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes to the program. This expansion, along with similar actions in other nutrition programs including SNAP that serve this population, will help combat food insecurity among seniors during the pandemic. In addition, USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is ensuring those who rely on CSFP don’t unintentionally lose access to their benefits due to the financial relief they receive through the American Rescue Plan. FNS is providing guidance to states and Tribal nations to exclude stimulus funds and child tax credits provided by the American Rescue Plan from income when determining eligibility for CSFP. 

Proposed Robust Investments in the Caregiving Economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and policymakers warned of an imminent long-term care crisis. Prior to 2020, it was estimated that more than half of people turning 65 would need long term services and supports (LTSS). Older adults can receive these types of services in a variety of places: in their homes, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities. The American Jobs Plan proposes to invest an additional $400 billion to expand access to these long-term services and supports for older Americans. This investment will also support well-paying caregiving jobs that include benefits and the ability to collectively bargain, building state infrastructure to improve the quality of services and to support workers. The funding will take significant steps to help older adults get high-quality care in their homes and communities.

Pages: 1 · 2