LeadingAge to HUD: Retain, Rehire Staff; Release Funds for Senior Housing
(March 25, 2025) On March 19th, LeadingAge requested urgent action by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release funding and retain the workforce needed for federal affordable senior housing programs.
In two letters to the agency, LeadingAge describes the harm of uncertainty regarding HUD funding and delays for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, Multifamily Service Coordination grants, and the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP). The letters also describe the need for robust staffing to effectively administer key HUD housing programs that LeadingAge provider members rely on.
“Without swift HUD action to distribute…awards to properties, tens of thousands of older adults could be negatively impacted,” says LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan to HUD Secretary Scott Turner.
Read more in this article.
Also on March 19th, LeadingAge filed a statement for the record regarding housing access for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) older adults to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a powerful agency that assists with White House objectives.
In February, HUD initiated a reversal of the Equal Access Rule, which stipulates that LGBTQ individuals have the same access to HUD programs as non-LGBTQ individuals, including ensuring access without impact on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
LeadingAge’s March statement for the record follows an oral statement that Juliana Bilowich, LeadingAge’s Senior Director for Housing Operations and Policy, provided to OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) during their review of HUD’s official proposal to change the Equal Access Rule (FR-6518). In its statement, LeadingAge urged HUD to prioritize the need for secure, stable access to housing for all older adults, including LGBTQ older adults.
As the U.S. government’s central authority for the review of Executive Branch regulations, OIRA reviews pending regulatory actions, including HUD’s Equal Access proposed rule. LeadingAge anticipates that the next step is for HUD to publish the proposed rule to the Federal Register for continued public comment. The association will continue its advocacy for housing access for LGBTQ+ older adults across the country.
Additionally, LeadingAge is engaging with staff for the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on a hearing planned for April 8th titled “Decades of Dysfunction: Restoring Accountability at HUD.” Witnesses for the hearing have not yet been announced.
Use LeadingAge’s action alerts to urge policymakers to protect and preserve affordable housing for older adults. When reaching out to congressional offices via these action alerts, providers are strongly encouraged to share their story. Sharing information about your affordable housing community, where it is, the residents you serve, and the services you connect residents to is very important for senators and representatives to understand as they consider whether and how they will weigh in to impact the fate of these threats.
In addition to taking action directly, all aging services stakeholders are encouraged to download, print, and distribute this flyer – now available in English and Spanish – to help residents who want to raise their voices to protect affordable housing.
Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866