Challenges, opportunities, and trends in developing permanent supportive housing for vulnerable seniors

This month, the Design for Aging Committee continues its focus on creating an Age Friendly Boston with Mark Hinderlie, President and CEO of Hearth, Inc., who will discuss the challenges in housing vulnerable seniors, with a particular focus on the concept of permanent supportive housing (PSH). PSH has become the term of art for the continuum of housing that starts with accessibility and ends with skilled nursing facilities. This continuum is currently far from providing a seamless set of housing options to meet individuals’ increasing service needs as they age. For example, there is no state that provides a reliable stream of funding to ensure affordable assisted living. This gap in the continuum means poor people are frequently prematurely housed in much more expensive nursing homes at much greater cost to Medicaid than would be needed to provide the next lower level of permanent supportive housing. We will also take a look at Hearth, Inc., a Boston-based agency working to end elder homelessness, which has led a National Leadership Initiative to End Elder Homelessness. In addition to developing and operating PSH including an affordable assisted living facility, Hearth does outreach in area homeless shelters, working with older adults to find housing and to connect them with the services they need to stay safely housed.

For those who qualify, 1.5 LUs/HSW are available

To learn more about the Design for Aging Committee, visit architects.org/committees/design-aging-committee

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