Affordable Senior Housing News 2026Apr17

Advocacy Opportunity! Senate Letter on Congressional Investment in Senior Housing Programs

In support of strong funding for affordable housing for low-income older adults, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is asking his Senate colleagues to join a letter to Senate Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) appropriations leaders. LeadingAge and our members support this effort each year: Please reach out to your Senate offices to ask them to join the letter, which requests strong funding for key HUD programs, like Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, and Section 811, Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities. As of early April, roughly twenty Senators have signed on, and we are pushing for at least 20 more to join the effort. Senators can sign on using this link (the link will only work for Senate staff). Specific asks include full funding for contract renewals for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program; an additional $600 million for capital advances and operating subsidies for 2,000 new 202 homes to meet increasing need; $50 million to fund a new Older Adult Special Purpose Housing Choice Voucher program for 5,000 older adults; $10 million in Rental Assistance Demonstration conversion subsidy to support preservation of 202 homes; and strong funding to renew and expand service coordinators in 202 housing. The “Dear Colleague” letter mirrors LeadingAge’s top priorities for affordable senior housing funding for Fiscal Year 2027. For assistance identifying or reaching out to your lawmakers, please reach out to Juliana Bilowich.

LeadingAge's CAST Helps Guide VOA Study of Technology in Affordable Housing

Involving older adults in designing the technology intended for them is essential in all settings, including in affordable housing, and the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is helping to innovate in this space. Scott Code, CAST vice president, served on the advisory research council for Residents First: Technology for Connection and Healthy Living in Affordable Senior Housing, a recent study commissioned by Volunteers of America (VOA). This LeadingAge member in Florida, Minnesota, Texas, and other states serves older adults in affordable housing communities at hundreds of locations nationwide. Study findings, which will guide technology development at a new VOA affordable housing community in the nation’s capital and other locations, are applicable to all LeadingAge members. A key insight from the VOA study—that while technology has become a social determinant critical to aging well, technologies must be designed with residents rather than for them in order to yield benefits—echoes sentiments voiced by CAST members and other researchers. User-informed design is essential. Explains Code: “We saw clearly that when residents are involved from the start, the technology chosen is more trusted and far more likely to be used. Centering older adults’ lived experiences is the foundation for building solutions that support safety, connection, and everyday life in affordable senior housing.” More information is available here.

Register Today for LeadingAge Webinar: "Fair Housing in Focus: From Policy to Practice" on April 30 & May 14

Join LeadingAge for a two-part webinar exploring fair housing issues impacting older adults in federally assisted housing. As the federal government rolls out policies, experts from the Fair Housing Institute will help affordable senior housing providers understand current expectations and apply them in day-to-day operations with confidence. Register today and secure the LeadingAge member rate.

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