Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.Following a series of listening sessions held during the pandemic, the Senate Committee on Reimagining Massachusetts Post-Pandemic Resiliency released its report with policy and spending recommendations on everything from rental assistance to digital equity. Continue reading
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Housing Support for Age-Friendly Communities Available Through CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement Initiative
Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) Municipal Engagement Initiative seeks to build support for affordable housing production in communities across the Commonwealth, which presents an opportunity for age-friendly communities or regions. Continue reading
Baker Administration Announces Expanded Vaccine Requirement for Long-Term Care Providers and Home Care Workers
The Baker Administration announced plans to require COVID-19 vaccination for all staff at rest homes, assisted living residences (ALRs), hospice programs, as well as for home care workers (HCWs) providing in-home, direct care services.
The plan to expand the vaccine requirement for caregivers is subject to Public Health Council (PHC) approval and is part of the Administration’s continued effort to protect older adults against COVID-19. Last month, the Administration announced a vaccine requirement for employees of skilled nursing facilities. Continue reading
Housing Navigator Massachusetts Announces the Launch of its Statewide Innovative Affordable Housing Search Tool
Cambridge-based, tech nonprofit Housing Navigator Massachusetts, Inc. [HNMI] announced the launch of its affordable housing search tool today, the first website search tool of its kind to be offered in the state. The effort is a public private partnership announced in the fall of 2019, benefitting from the support of the state’s affordable housing funders, property owners, and housing advocates. Continue reading
Baker Administration Announces $139 Million to Boost Affordable Rental Housing, Including Older Adults
The Baker Administration announced affordable housing awards for 28 projects in 21 communities across the Commonwealth intended to advance the development of 1,526 new rental units, including 1,346 rental units affordable for low- and extremely low-income households.
TFAH: Aligning Public Health Interventions with Older Adult Housing Needs and Challenges
As the population of older adults in the United States grows, alongside an increasing recognition of the salience of social determinants of health, the value of a public health approach to supporting the well-being of older adults is clear, according to an issue brief from Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Continue reading
Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation Releases Policy Options for Integrating Housing and Health for Low-Income Older Audlts
With support from Arnold Ventures, and in partnership with the Leading Age LTSS Center @UMass Boston, the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation embarked on research to understand the barriers to successfully linking affordable housing and health care and chart potential solutions.
Through focus groups with low-income older adults and stakeholder interviews, our research surfaced five key building blocks for success:
Emergency Rental Assistance Program Launched by Mass. DHCD
For age-friendly community coalitions and stakeholders engaged in housing issues, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) recently launched the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), a new funding mechanism to disburse state and federal funding resources for tenants and landlords to avoid evictions and maintain household stability throughout the COVID-19 emergency. Continue reading
New UMass-Boston Research Examines Economic Security for Older Adults in Large Metro Regions
New estimates from the 2020 Elder Index from the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at UMass-Boston shows that living expenses are high in
metropolitan areas across the U.S., and many older singles and couples lack the resources
needed to get by in their communities. Continue reading
State Funding Awards for Housing, Transportation and Community Services Include Strong Support for Older Adults
In the past week, the state has announced the latest grant awards for MassDOT’s Shared Winter Streets and Spaces program, Affordable Housing Development, and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – all of which include multiple projects that support older adults.
All of the following award announcements are great examples for age- and dementia friendly communities looking to address housing, transportation and community services.