It’s common for older adults to leave their homes and move into a new living space – like a family member’s house, assisted living facility or nursing home – but a recent effort by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is hoping to change that and help older homeowners instead age in place.
To accomplish this goal, the department is making $15 million available to assist older Americans with home modifications. This funding is made available through HUD’s Older Adult Home Modification Program.
“The funding opportunity … will assist experienced nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities in undertaking comprehensive programs that make safety and functional home modifications, repairs and renovations to meet the needs of low-income elderly homeowners,” HUD officials said in a statement.
Here’s everything you need to know about this effort, who can apply, and what home improvement projects will be covered.
How the home modification program encourages aging in place
The purpose of the program is to help restore and preserve the nation’s older but affordable housing stock and help older people who own their homes to age in place, a regional HUD spokesperson told Seasons in a statement.
In addition, the goal of the program is to assist low-income and older adult homeowners (at least age 62) to remain in their homes by providing low-cost, low barrier and high-impact home modifications to reduce their risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility and to improve functional abilities in the home.
“This is about enabling older adults to remain in the comfort of their family home, where they have made their life,” the spokesperson said, “rather than having to move to a nursing home or other assisted care facilities.”
With an estimated 20% of the population reaching age 65 by 2040, the home modification program hopes to help older adults remain in their homes safely with honor and respect.
“We must allow our nation’s seniors to age-in-place with dignity,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge in a statement. “This funding will give seniors the flexibility to make changes to their existing homes—changes that will keep them safe and allow them to gracefully adjust to their changing lifestyle.”
Health experts add that the program is significant because it’s specialized to meet the needs of those in the geriatric population and provide safety and familiarity around a home.
“There is a multitude of low-income homeowners in our elderly population that really deserve to have a comprehensive program like this to promote safety and functionality in their homes,” said Dr. Kuljit Kapur, DO, chief medical officer at Transitions Care. “It also establishes a program model, incorporating the needs of the patients and adaptations to the physical environment to promote safety.”
HUD shared some examples of what home modifications could include:
- Grab bars, railings, wheelchair ramps, lever-handle doorknobs and faucets, and light switches
- Adaptive equipment, such as a temporary ramp, tub/shower, transfer bench, handheld showerhead, raised toilet seat, rises for chairs and sofas, nonslip strips for tub/showers or stairs
Eligibility and application guidelines
Eligible applicants include experienced nonprofit organizations, state and local governments and public housing authorities that have at least three years of experience in providing services to elderly adults. Individuals, foreign entities and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to apply or receive funds, according to HUD.
This means there’s no individual application homeowners or family members need to fill out to receive funding. Instead, homeowners, family members, caregivers and other interested parties who want to get help and receive home modifications need to apply through a certain institution by contacting organizations in their area in the process of applying for funds or that have already received funds. Once you locate your closest organization, you can contact them about the program and how to get help with home improvement projects.
“Caregivers can contact the local organization that has a home modification grant, and let the grantee know that they are caregivers for a family with a family member that is age 62 and older, who owns the home they live in, and are interested in having the family’s home modified under HUD’s Home Modification grant program to help them age in place,” a HUD spokesperson said.