Feds Release Grants to Convert Apartments Into Assisted Living or Service-Enriched Senior Housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $17 million in grants to the owners of multi-family housing developments in six states to convert some or all of their apartments into assisted living or service-enriched environments for elderly residents (see attached list for grant recipients).

The funding announced is provided through HUD’s Assisted Living Conversion Program which supports the transformation of housing into units that can accommodate the special needs of seniors seeking to remain in their homes or ‘age in place.’

“There is a growing demand for affordable housing that will allow lower income seniors to live independently and age in place in their own homes,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro.  “These grants will help these apartment owners to offer assisted living or service-enriched environments that will allow their senior residents to remain in their homes for as long as they can.”

HUD’s Assisted Living Conversion Program grants provide private, nonprofit owners of eligible developments with resources to convert some or all of the dwelling units in the project into an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) or Service-Enriched Housing (SEH) for elderly residents aging in place. Licensed and regulated by the State or local community, Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) are designed to accommodate frail elderly and people with disabilities who can live independently but need assistance with activities of daily living (e.g., assistance with eating, bathing, grooming, dressing and home management activities) ALFs must provide support services such as personal care, transportation, meals, housekeeping, and laundry.

Service-Enriched Housing is designed to accommodate frail elderly persons or elderly persons with service needs who are aging in place.  Residents are able to live independently but need assistance with activities of daily living comparable to services typically provided in a licensed assisted living facility, such as healthcare-related services. 

These supportive services must be available through a licensed or certified third party service provider.  Service-Enriched Housing is housing that accommodates the provision of services to elderly residents who need assistance with activities of daily living in order to live independently.

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