June 23, 2020 Washington DC — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services in response to today’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Worst Case Housing Needs Report to Congress.

“Hidden among the good news in the HUD report is a disheartening finding: Despite the national trend of declining worst case needs, the number of elderly households experiencing severe housing problems has steadily increased over the past decade.

Our nation has undervalued and under-invested in older adults for decades. As the older population continues to grow, housing assistance programs are not keeping pace—and we are now seeing the results. In 2017, nearly 2 million older renters had worst case needs, an increase of more than nearly 80,000 from 2015.

We implore Congress: Do not to overlook this critical finding. It foreshadows an avoidable future for some of the most vulnerable older adults in our country—a future made even more perilous given the outsized impact of the COVID-1 pandemic on this population. By expanding programs like HUD’s flagship Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, our leaders can help ensure that every older adult has a quality place to call home.”

###

LINK to HUD report: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/worst-case-housing-needs-2020.pdf

We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org