Housing Resources for Seniors

Section 202: Supportive Housing for the Elderly

Section 202 is the federal government's primary program for providing affordable housing specifically to older adults age 62 and above. Unlike voucher-based programs that give you money to find private housing, Section 202 funds properties built or renovated specifically for seniors, with supportive services built into the program.

Section 202 properties are operated by nonprofits and provide safe, accessible housing in an integrated community setting. Many are modest apartment complexes or converted buildings designed with aging in place in mind—ground-floor units, accessible bathrooms, emergency call systems, and on-site services.

What Section 202 Provides

• Affordable rent (typically capped at 30% of your income)
• Accessible, elderly-appropriate housing
• On-site or coordinated supportive services such as case management, meal programs, transportation, health screening, and social activities
• Community programming and engagement opportunities
• Assistance with navigating other benefits and resources

Section 202 Eligibility

You can apply for Section 202 if you:

• Are 62 years or older
• Have a very low income (generally 50% or less of area median income)
• Are a U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant
• Can live independently (with supportive services if needed)

You don't need to be already homeless or have a specific health condition. If you're an older adult with limited income looking for affordable housing, you likely qualify.

How to Find and Apply for Section 202

Section 202 properties are located nationwide, but each project is managed independently. Here's how to find one near you:

• Search HUD's Section 202 Property Locator at hud.gov (search "Section 202 properties near me")
• Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (see below) and ask for recommendations
• Call your local Public Housing Authority and ask about Section 202 developments in your area
• Once you identify a property, call directly and ask about availability and the application process

Many Section 202 properties do have waiting lists, but funding is continually available as units turn over. Apply to multiple properties to increase your chances.

Section 8 Elderly Preferences

Standard Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers are also available to seniors, and many Public Housing Authorities give elderly preferences that move seniors up the waitlist faster. This means if you apply for Section 8 at age 62 or older, you may receive assistance sooner than other applicants.

When you apply for Section 8 at your local PHA, specifically ask if they have an elderly preference. If they do, provide your date of birth and ask how it affects your position on the waiting list. See our How to Apply for Section 8 guide for detailed instructions.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for Seniors

Many affordable housing properties for seniors are funded through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. These are private or nonprofit properties that receive tax incentives to keep rents low. While not exclusively for seniors, many LIHTC developments target older adults.

LIHTC properties often have income limits similar to Section 8 (30-60% of area median income). To find LIHTC properties near you:

• Search online databases like the National Housing Preservation Database (nhpd.org)
• Contact your state's housing finance agency and ask about senior-targeted LIHTC developments
• Ask your Area Agency on Aging for recommendations

LIHTC properties have their own waiting lists and application processes. Call properties directly to inquire about availability.

Aging in Place: Modifications and Support Services

Whether you're in Section 202, Section 8, or private housing, you can make modifications to help you stay in your current home as you age. "Aging in place" means staying in familiar housing with supportive services rather than moving to institutional settings like nursing homes.

Common Aging-in-Place Modifications

• Grab bars in bathrooms
• Ramps or stair lifts for accessibility
• Walk-in tubs or showers
• Widened doorways for mobility devices
• Improved lighting, especially in bathrooms and hallways
• Accessible kitchen modifications
• Emergency call systems or medical alert devices

Paying for Modifications

Several programs can help pay for these modifications. Review our Benefits & Financial Support guide for more details on available assistance:

• Weatherization and Home Improvement Grants: Many state and local programs offer grants for home accessibility improvements for low-income seniors
• HUD Community Development Block Grants: Some cities use these to fund accessibility improvements for seniors and people with disabilities
• VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant: If you're a veteran, the VA can help pay for modifications
• State Medicaid Programs: Some states cover home modifications through Medicaid for eligible seniors
• Area Agency on Aging: Ask your AAA about local grants and assistance programs

Area Agencies on Aging: Your Local Resource Hub

Every state has Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)—local organizations dedicated to serving older adults. They're an invaluable resource for housing information, applications, and connection to other senior services.

What Area Agencies on Aging Can Help With

• Information about Section 202, Section 8, and other senior housing programs
• Application assistance and advocacy
• Referrals to affordable housing developments in your area
• Information about aging-in-place modifications and funding
• Connection to meal programs, transportation, and other supportive services
• Legal assistance with housing issues
• Information about benefits you may qualify for (Supplemental Security Income, LIHEAP for utility assistance, etc.)

How to Find Your Area Agency on Aging

Contact the Eldercare Locator, a free service run by the National Council on Aging:

• Phone: 1-800-677-1116 (toll-free)
• Website: eldercare.acl.gov

Tell them your state and city, and they'll provide you with your local AAA's contact information. Your AAA can then connect you to all available resources.

Property Tax Relief Programs for Seniors

If you own your home, property tax relief programs can help you stay in it. Many states offer special tax breaks, exemptions, or deferrals for homeowners age 65 and older. These programs vary significantly by state and sometimes by county:

• Property Tax Exemptions: Some states exempt a portion of a senior's home value from property taxes
• Property Tax Deferrals: Allows you to delay paying property taxes until you move or pass away
• Circuit Breaker Programs: Provide relief if property taxes exceed a certain percentage of your income
• Homestead Exemptions: Reduce assessed property value for homeowners who live in their primary residence

Ask your city or county assessor's office about programs available in your area. Your AAA can also help you navigate these options.

Medicare and Medicaid Housing Considerations

Some housing programs can coordinate with Medicare and Medicaid to provide health services alongside housing:

• Medicaid Waiver Programs: Some states use Medicaid to help seniors stay in affordable housing with supportive services instead of moving to institutional care
• Integrated Care Models: Some Section 202 properties and other senior housing coordinate medical care with housing, reducing hospitalizations and improving health outcomes

Ask your Area Agency on Aging about integrated care and Medicaid options in your state. These can be game-changers for managing both housing and healthcare costs.

Utility Assistance Programs

For seniors, utilities can be a major part of housing costs. Several programs help with utility bills:

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Federal program that helps with heating and cooling costs
• Weatherization Assistance Program: Helps make homes more energy-efficient, lowering utility bills long-term
• Utility Company Programs: Many utilities offer senior discounts and budget billing options

Contact your Area Agency on Aging to apply for LIHEAP and Weatherization Assistance. These programs are often underutilized but can save seniors hundreds of dollars per year.

Housing isn't just about having a roof. For seniors, the right housing can mean staying independent, staying healthy, and staying connected to community. These programs make that possible.

Planning Ahead: Cognitive Decline and Housing

As we age, cognitive changes can happen gradually. You might start forgetting bills, have trouble managing a lease, or find it harder to maintain a home. These changes don't mean you're incapable—they mean you need different kinds of support. Planning ahead, before crisis hits, gives you and your family more options and more control.

Why This Matters

Cognitive decline affects practical housing decisions: keeping track of rent, managing repairs, remembering to turn off the stove, knowing when to call for help. If you wait until there's a crisis—a fire, unpaid bills, eviction—you'll have fewer choices and more stress. If you plan ahead, you can move proactively to housing and support that fit your needs.

Legal Tools to Put in Place Now

• Power of Attorney for Housing Decisions: This document lets you name someone (a family member, trusted friend, or advocate) to make housing decisions on your behalf if you can't. This includes signing leases, arranging repairs, and handling disputes with landlords. Set this up while you're still making clear decisions—it's much harder once cognitive decline is already happening.
• Representative Payee for Social Security: If you receive Social Security, you can arrange for a trusted person to manage your benefits. This ensures your rent and housing costs are paid on time, even if you're struggling with bills.
• Healthcare Power of Attorney: While not directly a housing document, this lets someone make health decisions for you, which affects your housing situation (e.g., whether you can stay at home or need assisted living)

Working with Your Area Agency on Aging

Your AAA can help you set up protective services before you're in crisis. These might include:

• Regular check-ins from a case manager
• Coordination with local social services
• Emergency assistance if you miss paying bills or need urgent housing help
• Connection to in-home services like meal delivery, housekeeping, or medical monitoring

Think of this as building a safety net now, so you won't fall into crisis later.

Warning Signs That Your Current Housing May No Longer Be Safe

• You're forgetting to turn off stove or leaving appliances running
• You're getting lost in your neighborhood or forgetting familiar routes
• Bills are piling up—rent, utilities, property taxes unpaid
• Your home is becoming unsanitary (trash, spoiled food, pest problems)
• You're neglecting personal hygiene or taking medications incorrectly
• You've had falls or near-misses in the home
• Neighbors or family express concern about your safety

Options When Your Current Housing Stops Working

• In-Home Services: Medicaid-funded aides can help with housekeeping, meal prep, medication management, and personal care. This lets you stay in your home longer.
• Adult Day Programs: Social and recreational programs provide structure, meals, and health monitoring while you stay at home
• Assisted Living: An apartment-style setting with daily support (see next section)
• Memory Care: Specialized facility for Alzheimer's or dementia with trained staff and secure environment (see next section)

Assisted Living vs. Memory Care: Understanding Your Options

If you or a family member needs more support than aging in place can provide, assisted living and memory care are the two most common next steps. They're different, and which one is right depends on the level of care needed.

Assisted Living: Semi-Independent Living with Support

Assisted living is for seniors who can mostly care for themselves but need help with some daily activities. You live in your own apartment or studio, but staff is available to help.

What's Included:

• Private or semi-private apartment or studio
• Meal service (usually at a communal dining area)
• Medication management and reminders
• Assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming
• Housekeeping and laundry
• Social activities and community programs
• 24-hour staff availability (though not constant one-on-one care)
• Transportation to appointments and outings

Cost and Payment: Assisted living typically costs $3,000–$6,000+ per month, depending on location and level of care. Payment sources:

• Private Pay: You or family members pay out of pocket
• Medicaid: Some states cover assisted living through Medicaid, especially through HCBS (Home and Community-Based Services) waivers (see below)
• Long-Term Care Insurance: If you have a policy, it may cover assisted living
• Combination: Many people combine Medicaid with private pay or use long-term care insurance alongside Medicaid

Memory Care: Specialized Care for Dementia and Alzheimer's

Memory care facilities are designed specifically for people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or significant cognitive decline. The environment, staffing, and activities are specialized for these conditions.

What's Different:

• Secured environment (residents cannot wander away unsupervised)
• Staff trained specifically in dementia care
• Structured activities and routines that provide comfort and engagement
• Higher staff-to-resident ratios than assisted living
• Accommodations for behavioral changes, confusion, and communication difficulties
• Often provides meals, activities, and programming tailored to cognitive abilities

Cost: Memory care is typically more expensive than assisted living—$4,000–$8,000+ per month depending on location and care level. Payment works the same way as assisted living (private pay, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, or combinations).

How to Evaluate Facilities: What to Look For

Whether you're considering assisted living or memory care, use these criteria to evaluate facilities:

• Staff-to-Resident Ratios: Ask how many staff members work each shift and how many residents they care for. Higher staff-to-resident ratios mean more attention per person. There's no single "right" ratio, but facilities should be transparent about this.
• Licensing and Certification: Verify the facility is licensed by your state and ask what type of license it holds. Check for any history of violations or complaints.
• State Inspection Records: Your state's health department publishes inspection reports. Request these and read them. They reveal real conditions: safety issues, staffing problems, cleanliness, nutrition.
• Staff Training and Turnover: Ask about staff qualifications, training requirements, and turnover rates. High turnover often means staff aren't trained well or residents don't get consistent care.
• Resident and Family Satisfaction: Ask to speak with current residents (if possible) and families. What's their experience? Do they feel safe, respected, and engaged?
• Activities and Engagement: For memory care especially, ask about daily activities. Are residents socially engaged, or are they sitting passively? Engagement improves quality of life.
• Visit at Different Times: Tour the facility at different times of day and unannounced if possible. Is the environment calm or chaotic? Are residents clean and well-cared-for?

Medicaid Waivers for Assisted Living (HCBS)

Many states now cover assisted living through Medicaid's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. These waivers allow Medicaid to pay for community-based care (assisted living) instead of institutional care (nursing homes). This is huge because:

• It expands who can afford assisted living
• You live in a more residential setting than a nursing home
• You have more independence and privacy

How to Apply: Contact your Area Agency on Aging and ask: "Does my state have an HCBS waiver for assisted living?" If yes, they can help you apply. Waiver programs vary by state, so your AAA will know what's available where you live. If your state doesn't offer an HCBS waiver for assisted living, ask about other Medicaid options that might help with housing costs.

The Emotional Side: Loss, Grief, and Family Conflict

Moving to assisted living or memory care is hard. You're leaving a home, losing independence, and grieving what you can no longer do. Your family may feel guilt, sadness, or conflict about the decision. This is all normal.

Practical Tips:

• Involve the Senior: As much as cognitively possible, let the senior participate in the decision. Visiting facilities together, making a choice (even if limited), and knowing what to expect reduces anxiety and preserves dignity.
• Personalize the Space: Bring familiar photos, furniture, and belongings from home. This makes the new space feel less institutional and comforting.
• Don't Rush the Transition: Allow time to adjust. Frequent family visits, maintaining routines, and patience help.
• Seek Counseling: If grief or family conflict is significant, consider counseling for yourself and family members. Many therapists specialize in aging-related transitions.
• Connect to Peer Support: Support groups for families of people with dementia or in assisted living can help you feel less alone in this transition.

Reverse Mortgages and Home Equity

If you own your home outright or have paid it down significantly, a reverse mortgage might be an option to tap into your home's equity and supplement your income. But there are important pros, risks, and safeguards to understand.

What a Reverse Mortgage Is

A reverse mortgage (officially a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage or HECM) lets you convert your home's equity into cash without selling your home or taking on a traditional mortgage payment. Instead of you paying the lender monthly, the lender pays you. The loan is repaid when you move out, sell the home, or pass away (and the estate repays it from home sale proceeds).

Who Qualifies

• Age 62 or older
• The home is your primary residence
• You own the home outright or have a small mortgage that can be paid off from reverse mortgage proceeds
• You must keep up with property taxes, insurance, and home maintenance (lender can require this)

Pros of Reverse Mortgages

• Stay in Your Home: You don't have to sell or move
• Income Supplement: You get cash (as a lump sum, monthly payment, line of credit, or combination) to supplement Social Security or other income
• No Monthly Payments: You don't make monthly mortgage payments; instead, the loan balance grows over time and is settled when you move or pass away
• Flexible Use of Funds: You can use the money for anything—housing costs, medical care, aging-in-place modifications, long-term care insurance

Significant Risks and Downsides

• High Fees: Reverse mortgages have higher fees than traditional mortgages—origination fees, insurance premiums, and closing costs can be $4,000–$8,000+. These come out of your equity.
• Loan Balance Grows Over Time: Interest accrues; your debt increases while your equity decreases. If you live a long time, most of your home's value may be consumed by the loan and fees.
• You Can Still Lose Your Home: If you stop paying property taxes, insurance, or HOA fees, the lender can require you to repay the loan or foreclose. If you move to a nursing home or assisted living long-term, the loan becomes due.
• Reduced Inheritance: Whatever equity is left in your home after repayment goes to your heirs, not the lender. But there may be little left.
• Affects Other Benefits: Reverse mortgage proceeds can count as income or assets, potentially affecting SSI, Medicaid, or other means-tested benefits. Check before taking the money.
• Predatory Lending Concerns: Some reverse mortgage lenders target older adults with high-pressure sales tactics. Slow down; don't rush into this.

HUD-Approved Counseling Is Required—And It's for Your Protection

By law, you must complete HUD-approved housing counseling before getting a reverse mortgage. This isn't a rubber stamp—a counselor will review your situation, explain all the pros and cons, and help you decide if it's truly right for you. This requirement exists because reverse mortgages can be predatory and many seniors regret them.

How to Find a HUD-Approved Counselor:

• Call HUD's national hotline: 1-800-569-4287
• Or visit hud.gov and search "housing counseling"
• Your Area Agency on Aging may also provide or recommend counseling

The counseling is often free. Use it. Take your time. Ask all your questions.

Alternatives to Reverse Mortgages

Before taking out a reverse mortgage, consider these alternatives:

• Property Tax Deferrals: Many states let seniors defer property tax payments until they move or pass away. This frees up monthly cash without taking on debt.
• Home Repair or Improvement Grants: Some states and nonprofits offer grants (not loans) for aging-in-place modifications or repairs. Check with your AAA.
• Downsizing: Sell your home, buy or rent something smaller with lower costs, and use the equity difference to supplement income. This might give you more housing flexibility too.
• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC): A traditional home equity loan may have lower fees than a reverse mortgage. But you'll have to make monthly payments.
• Renting Out Part of Your Home: If feasible, rent out a bedroom or accessory dwelling unit to generate income while staying in your home

Watch Out: Predatory Lenders Target Seniors

Some reverse mortgage lenders use high-pressure sales tactics to convince seniors to take out loans they don't understand and can't afford. Red flags:

• Lender pushes you to decide quickly or "lock in" an offer
• You don't fully understand the fees, terms, or how the loan works
• Lender discourages you from seeking counseling or independent advice
• The "rate" or "terms" change after you've supposedly agreed
• Lender suggests you use reverse mortgage proceeds for an investment or purchase

If you feel pressured or confused, stop. Talk to your Area Agency on Aging, a HUD-approved counselor, or a trusted advisor before signing anything.

Veterans: Additional Senior Housing Resources

If you're a senior veteran, you have additional housing resources beyond standard senior programs. These are benefits you've earned through your service.

VA Aid and Attendance Benefit

The Aid and Attendance benefit (also called A&A) is a monthly pension paid by the VA to eligible veterans who need help with daily living activities—bathing, dressing, eating, toileting. This benefit can be used to help pay for assisted living, memory care, or in-home caregivers.

How Much: The benefit amount varies and increases annually. As of 2026, the maximum is around $2,300–$2,500 per month (check with the VA for current amounts).

Who Qualifies:

• Served on active duty (any length of service)
• Received an honorable or general discharge
• Age 65 or older, OR any age if you're unable to dress or bathe yourself, or need help with toileting, eating, or other activities of daily living
• Limited income (there are income caps, but they're relatively high)

How to Apply: Contact your local VA office or visit va.gov. You can also work with a VA-accredited representative from a veterans organization (many are free). They'll help you file the application and gather required documents.

State Veterans Homes

Most states operate State Veterans Homes

What They Offer: