Senior Living: How Do You Find Low-Income Senior Housing?

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 a wide set of option 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 few choices when it comes to low-income housing option.

Retirement Communities: These clusters of housing units for those 55 and older consist of single-family homes, duplexes, condominiums, mobile homes or townhouses. Some are rentals while others can be purchased. There is usually a monthly fee for maintenance and recreational activities.

Senior Apartments: These communities are generally age-restricted. Rent includes recreational programs, transportation, low-cost housekeeping and meals in common dining rooms.

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.

How Do I Find Low-Income Senior Housing?

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.

How Can HUD Help Seniors Pay For 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

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.

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Do I 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 also 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: How to Find Low-Income Senior Housing. It has been updated to current sources and statistics as of February 8, 2018.

For more tips about senior living, visit the After55.com Blog and for tips about apartment living, visit the ForRent.com Blog.

The post Senior Living: How Do You Find Low-Income Senior Housing? appeared first on Apartment Living Blog.

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