April 18, 2025 Washington, DC – Statement from LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan, in response to the preliminary injunction order issued April 15, 2025 by U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy that temporarily relieves the funding freeze on key programs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), including the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP):
“This ruling is a critical first step toward victory for the millions of low-income older adults who rely on federally assisted affordable housing. The GRRP is a unique and much-needed opportunity for housing organizations to access money to preserve and modernize affordable housing, including properties for older adults. Across the country, over 50 projects under way at our nonprofit and mission-driven members await over $150 million in awards.
The GRRP awards, announced starting in September 2023 and throughout 2024, are key sources of funding for the rehabilitation and updating of existing developments that ensures their use as homes for older adults for decades to come. Without the HUD money, projects may fall apart. The funding freeze posed serious harm to older adults, housing providers, and communities nationwide.
The court’s ruling restores hope and momentum, and we remain committed to advocating for full, uninterrupted access to the GRRP funds that strengthen our nation’s housing infrastructure and help older adults age with dignity in their homes and communities.
We continue to urge HUD to move swiftly to resume full administration of this program. Now more than ever, older Americans deserve housing that supports healthy aging—safe, resilient, affordable homes where they can thrive.”
Examples of GRRP award funding impact and its potential loss on affordable housing for low-income older adult communities:
Associated Press, March 12, 2025: The potential loss “seriously jeopardizes our ability to be able to provide an upgrade to the current systems,” said Greg Franks, president of the [ Smith Tower Apartments] … management company, adding that the work is “needed to sustain the livability of this building based on its age, and to keep it viable for another 60 years.”
Bloomberg, March 25, 2025: “It’s frustrating to think that these funds may not appear simply because of the work we put into them and because they were already awarded,” said Ken Young, president and chief executive officer for United Church Homes. “This is a vulnerable population, and not having funding puts their homes at risk.”
NPR, April 6, 2025: Trinity Woods hoped to use its loan to generate matching funds for a $10 million overhaul. The goal was to upgrade not only its cooling, but also heating, as one of two 1993 boilers is also irreparably broken. …Installing new windows and siding was also on the wish list. “I have been pleading for at least three years to do something about this air conditioning,” said Rev. Richard Bridgford, head of Norfolk Urban Outreach Ministry and president of the board of Trinity Woods. …This type of subsidized housing also does not gain equity, which means it’s not allowed to take on debt. “So you can’t get any funds, any money to fix anything,” Bridgford said.
