LeadingAge has updated a resource document to help housing providers prepare to take advantage of back-up generator installation reimbursement through the next round of HUD COVID-19 Supplemental Payments (CSPs), expected later this summer or fall. In 2021, HUD expanded the CSP eligibility categories to include back-up generators so that older adults are able to shelter in place during an emergency, rather than go to a group shelter where they may be exposed to COVID-19.

Despite HUD’s expansion of CSP reimbursement eligibility to cover back-up generator installation costs, timing constraints made it difficult for providers to secure contracts for generators ahead of the request deadline during the previous CSP round (round four). Back-up generator costs are anticipated to be eligible again in the forthcoming fifth round of CSPs and, with member experience showing that planning for generator installation can take longer than expected, LeadingAge is encouraging providers to take steps now to position themselves for the forthcoming Notice.

Key steps to prepare for the forthcoming fifth round CSP Notice include securing three bids (as required by HUD) and communicating with your regional HUD counterparts about the property’s eligibility for back-up generator reimbursements using CSP funds. In the previous round of funding, narrow eligibility requirements related to previous power outages prevented some LeadingAge members from moving forward with the installation; however, HUD has previously made exceptions available and we encourage our membership to communicate with HUD early about the property’s back-up power needs. 

LeadingAge continues to press HUD to make its fifth-round CSP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and eligibility guidelines more accommodating to ensure that more older adults – many with chronic conditions, higher COVID-19 risk, and mobility restrictions – are able to safely shelter in place. The updated resource document is available here.