Many senior citizens live on fixed incomes, and subsidies such as Social Security aren’t always enough to pay for living expenses, including housing. This forces many elderly people to seek low-income senior housing to stretch their dollars and make ends meet.
There are numerous options for low-income senior housing. Let’s review some of the considerations, financial subsidies, and types of housing available.
Types of Low-Income Senior Housing
Seniors have a couple of choices when it comes to low-income housing.
- Senior Apartments: These communities generally are age-restricted to 55+ or 62+. These apartment communities often have senior-friendly features, amenities, and activities. Income restrictions might apply. This is the most common type of low-income senior housing you’ll find on After55.com.
- Subsidized Senior Housing: These units are available to low-income seniors and are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Most of these have extremely long waiting lists.
Keep in mind that “low income” does not mean housing is located in a crime-ridden neighborhood. If the housing units or apartment communities are well-designed and managed properly, and are in safe and stable neighborhoods, then you or your loved one will be fine.
Local Renting Information
The first step in finding low-income senior housing is to assess the current rental market as it relates to your housing needs. Consider what your monthly budget it, your location requirements, what housing amenities you desire, and if you’re downsizing, consider how many bedrooms you actually need.
To view rentals, start by visiting ForRent.com to search for available apartments in your area. Filter the listings by the price that you can afford, or you can also specifically search for cheap apartments. When searching, use the filters to seek out rentals that have disability access, allows pets, have the right number of bedrooms, or other amenities that you are looking for.
Next, do a housing search that targets communities specific to seniors by visiting After55.com. Use the same filter functions to assess what housing options are available and interesting. Under “Senior Housing Options” for a particular metro or city, look for the “Low Income” link to see properties that provide low-income senior housing in that area.
Where to Find Low-Income Senior Housing
The areas below are the most popular metros for low-income senior housing on After55.com:
- Atlanta area
- Austin area
- Central Connecticut
- Columbus area
- Dallas area
- Denver area
- Indianapolis area
- Las Vegas area
- Miami area
- Milwaukee area
- Minneapolis area
- New York City area
- Orlando area
- Phoenix area
- Pittsburgh area
- Sacramento area
- Salt Lake Valley
- San Antonio area
- Seattle area
- Tampa Bay
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk area
- Washington D.C. area
How HUD Can Help Seniors With Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can provide rental assistance for low-income seniors in four ways:
- Privately Owned Subsidized Housing: Apartment owners who receive assistance from HUD can offer reduced rents to low-income residents.
- Multifamily Subsidized Supportive Housing: For those who are very low income and also need help such as cooking or transportation, Section 202 provides subsidized, supportive housing options for seniors.
- Public Housing: Contact your local public housing agency to find affordable apartments for low-income seniors.
- Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8): This voucher program, through your local public housing agency, can pay for all or part of your rent.
- HUD Resource Locator: Find HUD regional and field offices, public housing agencies, USDA rural housing and more by using this HUD Resource Locator.
How to Qualify for Low-Income Senior Housing
Each housing program has slightly different requirements. With qualifications for age, income, and more, it can be tricky to navigate the options and figure out which one is best for you.
That’s why we recommend contacting your local HUD rental assistance office to walk you through the programs that you may qualify for. Additionally, these local offices can connect you to available resources beyond the federal government programs, such as state or local subsidiaries, assistance with your utility bills, and more.
This article was originally published on After55.com on August 29, 2016: How to Find Low-Income Senior Housing. It has been updated to current sources and statistics as of February 8, 2018.
For more tips on senior living, visit the After55.com Blog. For tips on apartment living, visit the ForRent.com Blog.
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The post Senior Living: How Do You Find Low-Income Senior Housing? appeared first on Apartment Living Blog.
from Apartment Living Blog https://www.forrent.com/blog/senior-living/how-find-low-income-senior-housing/
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