A bill meant to offer “meaningful steps” to getting more service coordination into affordable senior housing communities was introduced last week.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, re-introduced the Affordable Housing Resident Services Act on Sept. 12, providing funding to owners of affordable housing properties to offer supportive services to residents.
“Affordable senior housing without service coordination should be a distant history, given all we know about its benefits to residents and the broader community,” LeadingAge Senior Vice President of Policy Linda Couch told McKnight’s Senior Living. “This bill takes meaningful steps to get more service coordination into more affordable senior housing communities.”
The act would establish the Affordable Housing Residents Services Grant Program within the Department of Health and Human Services to provide funding for supportive services to residents over five years. The bill would expand eligible grantees and grant uses under the existing Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration, administered by HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, according to LeadingAge.
Under the bill, a broad range of housing providers would be eligible for grant funding, including Section 202 Supportive Housing the Elderly, project-based Section 8 properties and low-income housing tax credit properties.
Specifically, affordable housing owners could use up to 25% of grant funding to pay for a service coordinator to provide supportive services to residents. Remaining funds mainly would be used to provide supportive services at affordable housing properties, including mental health, alcohol and addiction treatment; financial literacy training, older adult care; assistance for residents with disabilities; and other community services.
Along with LeadingAge and other backers, the legislation is endorsed by AHEPA Senior Living.
“As a nationwide provider of safe and dignified affordable housing for older adults, we strongly support measures that bolster resources to help residents live independently and thrive through supportive services provided by our service coordination team,” AHEPA Senior Living President and CEO Steve Beck told McKnight’s Senior Living. “This important legislation will do just that by providing much-needed, sustained investment in supportive services and meaningful resources to provide communities with a service coordinator, as not all of ours have one or are short staffed.”
