Save HUD 202

On June 27, NAHRO attended the LeadingAge rally on Capitol Hill to preserve the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program (HUD 202). The program provides affordable housing to 400,000 very low-income older adults. The rally focused on preventing HUD 202 proposed budget cuts for more than 128,000 Section 202 units and highlighted the efforts toward creating new housing units. This is essential so this population can age in a single place for a longer time, which results in positive health results. LeadingAge calculates $514 million is needed for the FY 2018 Section 202 expansion.

Community leaders joined Senator Bob Casey, Representative Al Green, Senator Robert Menendez, Congressman David Price, and Representative Maxine Waters to encourage activism on a local, state, and federal level. There was an emphasis that housing is a human right and should be viewed as an investment not an expense. Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) cuts were highlighted as essential to this program. The rally’s message is that we must strive toward our vision and fight against ageism. Currently only 1.4 million out of the four million eligible older adult households receive rental assistance programs. We need a budget that reflects the value of taking care of our elders, not one that leaves them behind due to lack of affordable housing funds. Representatives urged all affordable housing advocates to engage in advocacy. This starts with speaking to lawmakers about HUD 202’s countless positive impacts.

For more information on becoming involved view: http://www.leadingage.org/save-hud-202