Political and Organizational Barriers to Satisfying Low-Income U. S. Seniors' Need for Affordable Rental Housing with Supportive Services

Abstract

A substantial share of the low-income older tenants who occupy U. S. government-subsidized rental housing has physical and cognitive limitations. These older tenants are often women living alone in their 70s and 80s, who need help obtaining community-based services, demand-responsive transportation, help with apartment housekeeping and maintenance, self-care assistance, and design modifications made to their dwellings. Other low-income and frail older persons who have large housing expense burdens or occupy physically deficient dwellings also need affordable rental housing with these supportive services. The unmet supportive service needs of these groups persist even as this country's major political and professional stakeholders are aware of their problems and have solutions. This paper examines five major political and organizational barriers that have restricted the availability of supportive services in affordable rental developments. It offers 12 policy recommendations.

Affordable Clustered Housing-Care: A Category of Long-Term Care Options for the Elderly Poor

“…Even as advocates point to their many virtues, it is not easy to develop and manage these housing-care arrangements and potential sponsors confront various obstacles that either prevent or discourage their participation (Golant, 2003b). To make these options affordable, housing providers must secure funding to construct (or physically retrofit) and manage a building and to deliver affordable care.…”

Aging in (Privatized) Places: Subsidized Housing Policy and Seniors

“…As a result, service coordinators are in great demand and are provided, even without government-assisted funding. In 2002, the federal government only funded 1,100 service coordinators, but approximately 4,000 were in operation out of federal assisted rental buildings, funded by private agencies (Golant, 2003). On the other hand, HUD funding of the Service Coordinator Program has only resulted in 37% of Section 202 elderly housing projects employing service coordinators on staff (Heumann, Winter-Nelson, & Anderson, 2001).…”

“…The funding of service coordinators in subsidized senior housing is left mostly up to private entities to fund (Golant, 2003), which many choose not to do for various reasons. Many housing facility owners, sponsors, and management firms argue that assisting their frail elderly tenants beyond providing housing is not in their job descriptions and that more frail residents should, in fact, live in nursing homes (Golant, 2003).…”

“…Many housing facility owners, sponsors, and management firms argue that assisting their frail elderly tenants beyond providing housing is not in their job descriptions and that more frail residents should, in fact, live in nursing homes (Golant, 2003). Others fear that providing service coordination will make them look more like nursing homes instead of independent living apartments.…”

“…Others fear that providing service coordination will make them look more like nursing homes instead of independent living apartments. Still others cannot afford to provide the matching funds needed to obtain a service coordinator or do not have or desire the training or experience to work effectively with older adults (Golant, 2003).…”