LeadingAge member National Church Residences celebrated the opening of 76 new affordable senior homes the organization developed and operated under HUD’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program.

The organization was pleased to welcome Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Julian Gordon to the October 25 event at Salem Village, Columbus, OH.

“The opening of Salem Village is just one of the examples of how our long-standing partnership with National Church Residences can positively impact the lives of low income seniors who need both affordable housing and the supportive services to live independently,” Assistant Secretary Gordon said at the opening.

LeadingAge has spearheaded advocacy for the revival and annual funding for the Section 202 program, which serves older adult households with average annual household incomes of about $15,000.

“We understand that housing is one critical component for building a healthy and prosperous future. That’s why I’m proud to say that National Church Residences is a nonprofit organization that uses its earnings to reinvest in our housing communities through new construction and critical rehabilitation,” National Church Residences president and CEO Susan DiMickele said at the opening celebration.

There have been three rounds of funding since the Section 202 program was revived in 2018. In 2020, HUD awarded $4.9 million in capital and operating subsidy funding to National Church Residences for Salem Village. “This is why we do the work we do,” LeadingAge president and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said when the 2020 awards were announced for the Section 202 program.

Photo, left to right: HUD FHA commissioner and assistant secretary for housing Julia Gordon; Susan DiMickele, president and CEO of National Church Residences; and Anthony Forte, field office director, Columbus, Ohio, HUD. Photo courtesy of National Church Residences.