LA seniors find housing solution with home share program

A state-led program in Pennsylvania matches homeowners willing to rent out space in their house with renters who need affordable housing. The initiative is also focused on allowing seniors to stay in their homes and communities longer, so one of the parties is always over 60 years old.

University-based retirement communities help to foster intergenerational connections between younger and older generations. Some of these facilities are simply developments near colleges, while others are physically on-campus. Along with building connections, these programs help fight feelings of loneliness among the older population and break down stigmas young people may hold about the elderly.

Dementia units and long-term care homes for the elderly are often desolate and lonely places, with harried workers attempting to meet the needs of their patients while also meeting government-set metrics of success. For families and individuals, it can be difficult to imagine a better way. However, a pilot program in Canada called the Butterfly room is showing that dedicated efforts to making long-term care homes a vibrant and loving place for someone's last days has positive impacts for everyone - and is worth a government investment do right across the country.

Priya Living is an elder-living community focused on Indian culture. Priya Living has four locations throughout the state and is planning to expand in Michigan and Texas. Rent in the condo-style units ranges from $2,000 to $3,000 a month and currently serves over 530 people. This culture-focused community helps the aging population fight loneliness and find a sense of community with people they can relate to through activities and programming like yoga, movie screenings and down time to chat.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is an immigrant services agency that connects immigrants with the resources they need to adjust to life in Canada. The group helps an average of 73,000 people each year from more than 150 countries and provides assistance in finding affordable housing, English language training, career and social services and accessing care for seniors.

Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides care to elders including adult day care, home health care and supplies like bed rails, eyeglasses and access to medications, while simultaneously providing respite to family caregivers. Studies show PACE program participants have lower rates of hospital use and shorter lengths of stay compared to those participating in other programs or opting for general nursing home care. The PACE centers in Metro Detroit serve 1,600 adults across its seven centers. Statewide, there are 14 active PACE programs across 24 centers.

Lavender Courtyard is a three-story apartment complex that serves LGBTQ+ seniors who pay affordable rents based on income, which caps rents at 30% of their monthly-adjusted income. With the housing crisis running rampant, the Lavender Courtyard provides seniors with affordable housing and a space where they can safely live comfortably and authentically.

The nonprofit Home Share Oregon and Silvernest, a platform similar to Match.com, aim to match those at risk for homelessness with homeowners who have room to spare. These programs provide monetary incentives and an opportunity to build relationships, all while combatting inflation and high rent costs. Since launching in 2021, the initiative has successfully linked 250 pairs of renters and homeowners through compatibility matching.

To combat worker shortages, the Presbyterian Homes and Services — a network of over 50 senior living communities — has been partnering with the International Personnel Resource of the Philippines to bring registered nurses from overseas to the states.

The Money Follows the Person is a federal program that increases access to Medicaid funds for home and community care services for people transitioning out of institutional care. The program has helped more than 101,000 people move out of long-term care facilities into community or home living. The program has also helped people save money by cutting taxpayers’ Medicaid and Medicare bills by about 23% for each person who was moved out of a nursing home or other institution. Based on the program’s success, the current administration is reviewing plans to extend or make Money Follows the