Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.The Department of Housing and Community Development is pleased to announce the opening of the 2023 Housing Choice Communities Designation application. Age-and dementia friendly community efforts that include improving housing options are encouraged to support and advocate within their cities and towns for this recognition, which provides access and priority in relevant state funding opportunities. Continue reading
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Lessons for Enhancing Service Coordination in HUD-Assisted Senior Housing Communities
A new research brief from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston offers a wide range of lessons to help housing communities implement a service coordination model developed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in which the “role of the service coordinator has evolved to a more proactive level of coordination, engagement, outreach, assistance, and case management.” Continue reading
LeadingAge Mass. and MassPACE Launch Resource to Establish Connections Between Services and Housing
In Massachusetts, there are over 100,000 units of subsidized affordable housing targeted to older adults including public housing and privately owned assisted housing. Since many
residents of affordable senior housing may be eligible for and can benefit from PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), partnerships and collaborations between PACE Organizations and housing providers provide an excellent opportunity to further support a building’s residents. Continue reading
Coalition of Housing Advocacy Orgs Release “A Right to Rental Assistance in Massachusetts” Paper
A coalition of housing advocacy organizations, including many partners of the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, released a paper called “A Right to Rental Assistance in Massachusetts: How Policy Change Can Advance Equitable Housing.” Continue reading
Baker Administration Announcement of $93 Million Promotes Affordable Housing for Older Adults
The Baker Administration recently announced $93.4 million in direct funding and $33 million in state and federal housing tax credits to support the development of 790 housing units across 14 projects at an event in Haverhill. Four of those 14 projects directly mention affordable housing available to “seniors.” Continue reading
CHAPA Offering Technical Assistance for Communities to Promote Affordable Housing
Communities working to become more age- and dementia friendly can apply for a free technical assistance opportunity from Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) via the organization’s program called “Municipal Engagement Initiative Lite.”
Report on Housing and Health Equity from JCHS Shows Age-Friendly Networks Played Critical Role in Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults faced social isolation and disruptions in access to food, medical care, and supportive services. In response, organizations that support older people improvised solutions to address these challenges. A new report, Advancing Housing and Health Equity for Older Adults: Pandemic Innovations and Policy Ideas, examines how these responses, most of which were intended to be temporary, might improve housing and supports for older adults and address longstanding inequities. Continue reading
New Resource: ‘Age- and Dementia Friendly Design Considerations for Physical Infrastructure’
The Massachusetts Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and All Other Dementias created a workgroup with a goal of defining age-and dementia friendly design considerations for physical infrastructure, disseminating those findings and advocating for their inclusion in relevant state funding programs.
That workgroup is pleased to share the culmination of that work in the form of a guide titled Age and Dementia Friendly Design Considerations for Physical Infrastructure, which highlights design considerations supporting people living with dementia and focused on four types of infrastructure: Continue reading
AARP Announces Resource on ‘Discovering and Developing Missing Middle Housing’
Created by AARP Livable Communities and Opticos Design, Discovering and Developing Missing Middle Housing provides age- and dementia friendly communities, local leaders, building and planning professionals, and involved community members with information about what Missing Middle Housing is, where it still exists, and why it’s time for communities nationwide to return this versatile residence type to America’s housing portfolio. Continue reading
NORC Report: Many Middle-Income Seniors Will Not Be Able to Pay for Long-Term Care and Housing in 10 Years
A new NORC analysis updating the groundbreaking “Forgotten Middle” study finds that there will be 16 million middle-income seniors in 2033, many of whom will struggle to pay for the health, personal care, and housing services that they need. For instance, excluding home equity, nearly three-quarters of middle-income seniors in 2033 will have insufficient financial resources to pay for assisted living, if they need and want it. Even with home equity, nearly 40% will not be able to afford assisted living. Continue reading