|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizen Homes & Communities
HUD to Fund $518.9 Million in Housing Assistance for
Very Low-Income Elderly
Another $124.8 million to help very low-income
disabled
 Oct. 29, 2007 - It will soon be easier for
thousands of senior citizens and people with disabilities to find
affordable housing, according to a news release from Housing and Urban
Development on Friday. More than $643 million in housing assistance
grants were announced by HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson.
"This Administration is committed to making sure
our senior citizens and people with disabilities have opportunities to
find decent housing that they can afford," said Jackson. "Neither group
should ever have to worry about being able to find a safe place to
live."
$518.9 Million in Section 2002 Grants for very
low-income elderly
HUD's
Section 202 grants program helps expand the supply of affordable
housing with supportive services for the elderly, according to HUD. It
provides very low-income elderly with options that allow them to live
independently but in an environment that provides support activities
such as cleaning, cooking, and transportation.
In addition to funding the construction and
rehabilitation of projects to create apartments, HUD Section 202 grants
will subsidize rents for three years so that residents will pay only 30
percent of their adjusted incomes as rent.
To be eligible for the assistance a household must
be classified as "very low- income," which means an income less than 50
percent of the area median.
Nationally, based on 50 percent of the national
median family income with an applicable adjustment for household size, a
one-person household would need to have an income equal to or less than
$20,850 a year.
$124.8 Million to assist very low-income people
with disabilities
Section 811 Grants allow persons with disabilities to live
independently in their communities by increasing the supply of rental
housing with the availability of supportive services. Residents will
pay 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent and the federal
government will pay the rest, according to the HUD news release.
The grants are awarded under HUD's Section 811
program, which provides housing for households with one or more very
low-income individuals, at least one of whom is at least 18 years old
and has a disability, such as a physical or developmental disability or
chronic mental illness.
The term "person with disabilities" also includes
two or more people with disabilities living together, and one or more
persons with disabilities living with one or more live-in attendants.
To be classified as "very low-income," a household
income cannot exceed 50 percent of the area median income. However,
most households that receive Section 811 assistance have an income less
than 30 percent of the area median. Generally, this means that a
one-person household will have an annual income of about $12,550.
HUD provides the Section 202 and Section 811 funds
to non-profits in two forms:
● Capital advances. This is money that covers
the cost of developing the housing. It does not need to be repaid as
long as the housing is available for at least 40 years for occupancy by
very low-income seniors (under Section 202) or very low-income people
with disabilities (under Section 811).
● Project rental assistance. This is money that
goes to each non-profit group to cover the difference between the
residents' contributions toward rent and the cost of operating the
project.
State-By-State
State-by-state breakdown of individual grant
summaries is available on the
HUD website.
HUD’s Self-description:
HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to
increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating
affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and
supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people
living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community
development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More
information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at
www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
