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WHAT ARE THE CURRENT CONDITIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS?
HOUSING & HOME REPAIR & MODERNIZATION
The topic of housing for older adults is critical because it is intricately
linked with quality of life, self-determination, and independence. The majority
of older adults want to stay in their own homes - they do not want to move
to nursing homes, assisted living centers or retirement communities. A recent
national survey by AARP found that, of respondents ages 55 and older, 89%
want to stay in their current homes for as long as possible (Bayer, 2000).
Similarly, the vast majority of respondents to a local survey indicated that
their ideal living situation is to live in their own home. According to service
providers in Austin/Travis County, the top two pressing needs for older adults
are affordable, accessible housing and affordable supportive housing. Following
closely behind is affordable assisted living. For both urban and rural older
adults, the inability to maintain safe, affordable housing or to access needed
services near home can be a factor in nursing home placement earlier than necessary.
(Latimer & Nolan, 2000). The ability to honor the desire of older adults to
age in place is challenging given that the older a person becomes, the less
likely he/she is able to maintain his/her property or care for his/her own
personal needs.
Private Housing
The majority of older adults own their own homes. According to the 1995
American Housing Survey, 78% of older adults owned their own homes, while
22% rented. The differences between older adults who own versus those that
rent are significant. (See Table 4.)
Table 4.
Older Adult Owners Versus Renters in the U.S. - 1995
CHARACTERISTIC
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TYPICAL OWNER
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TYPICAL RENTER
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Race/Ethnicity
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Caucasian
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African American or Hispanic
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Age
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65 or older
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75 or older
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Marital Status
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Married or living with someone (36%)
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Single (71%)
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Percent Living in Home for 20 Years or More
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59%
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18%
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Median Monthly Housing Cost
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$282
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$412
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Percent with Annual Income Less than $10,000
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20%
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49%
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Percent of Income Spent on Housing
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Less than 30%
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30% or more
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Source: Citro, 1998
It is evident from this comparison that older renters are at greatest risk
for poor outcomes and most likely to have support needs - the combination of
low income, living alone, and older age makes them more susceptible to a range
of problems.
In Austin/Travis County, the rise in the cost of housing poses a particular
problem for older residents. In the last twenty years, the average price of
homes in Austin has more than tripled and, since 1992, prices have increased
57%. This increase is positive for older homeowners who want to sell because
it increases the return on their investment. However, it also means that property
taxes increase, causing a financial burden for older adults.
For renters, the news is not any better. During the last ten years, rents
have risen an average of 7% per year, by approximately $.25 per square
foot. Today the average rent is $459 for an efficiency and $1,200 for a three-bedroom
apartment (City of Austin, 2000). Similarly, in the last 25 years, the
cost
of low-income housing has risen by 25% in the Austin area (Mazur, Henneberger,
Paup, & Vilenkin, 1999).
According to a report by the Texas
Low Income Housing Information Service, there are approximately 5,630
elderly homeowners and renters in Austin and Travis County who have an unmet
housing need. These older adults have incomes at or below 80% of the median
family income (MFI) for Austin.
Figure 10.
Elderly Residents With Unmet Housing Needs by Income In Austin/Travis
County
 Source:
Mazur et. al., 1999
Public Housing
The two primary local public housing providers are the Housing
Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and the Travis County Housing
Authority (TCHA), both of which own and operate public housing units and
manage voucher programs funded by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Older adults
are eligible for a number of the public housing programs administered by
HACA and TCHA but these programs are at capacity.
Approximately 27% of HACA residents and 33% of TCHA residents are individuals
aged 62 and older (Mazur et. al., 1999). Of the 1,928 public housing units
operated by HACA, 428 units (22%) are designated for the elderly and disabled.
Of all HACA units, approximately 500 are occupied by the elderly. Both agencies
have long waiting lists - 6 to 8 months at HACA and 22 months at TCHA. As of
February 2000, elderly residents comprised 15.4% of individuals on the HACA
waiting list and 5.5% of those on the TCHA list (City of Austin, 2000; Personal
Communication with HACA, September 2000).
| Waiting
Lists for Public Housing: |
| HACA |
6 to 8
months |
| TCHA |
1 year
8 months |
| Section
202 |
8 to 18
months |
| Section
8 |
12 to
18 months |
|
Only one federal housing program specifically targets seniors - Section
202. These units are available to low-income families with at least
one member who is age 62 or older. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the
occupants are over 62 and the average resident income is $8,600. In
Austin, there are 203 rental units and an 8 to 18 month wait to access
Section 202 housing (Mazur et. al., 1999). Section 8 vouchers are another
housing resource. HACA administers some
2,584 vouchers, of which 388 (15%) are used by those 62 and older.
Section 8 has a waiting list of some 2000 people and the wait is 12
to 18 months
(Personal Communication with HACA, September 2000).
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New senior housing will be constructed in 2001. The City of Austin
announced in October 2000 that they received a $3.8 million grant from
HUD, which will be used to build a 55-unit apartment building for residents
ages 62 and older. Priority will be given to individuals with incomes
of $10,000 or less (one-half the median income in Austin) (Householter,
2000).
Home Modification and Repair
For older adults, home repair and home modification are also critical
issues. A Senior Needs Survey was conducted in July, 2000 with a
group
of Austin/Travis County senior residents. In response to the question, "What kinds of services do you need that you are not getting now?",
survey respondents indicated that home repair was what they needed
most.
The types of repairs or improvements needed include foundation repair,
septic tank
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installation, in-door plumbing installation, gas line repair, and weatherization.
Home modifications and repairs are essential for increasing the safety
of homes and enabling individuals to remain independent for as long
as possible. Small changes such as installing grab bars in showers can
provide support while preventing accidents. Accessibility can be improved
by replacing stairs that can be difficult to climb with a simple wooden
ramp.
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Studies
show that up to 50% of accidents at home could be prevented with modification
and repairs.
Access America, 2000
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Home modification is also important for caregivers. This can decrease stress
for caregivers and improve their ability to care for older adults. A study
of caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's and dementia found that for 85%
of respondents home modifications were beneficial in some way to caregivers.
They most frequently adjusted bathrooms and kitchens to improve safety as
well as making changes to keep individuals from wandering away from home
(Calkins & Namazi, 1988).
In the AARP survey, Fixing
to Stay, respondents were asked why they had not made modifications
to their homes. The two reasons most often cited were not being able
to make modification themselves (37%) and not being able to afford to
pay for the modification (36%). Additionally, 23% of respondents did
not have anyone to make the modification for them, and 22% did not know
how to find someone to hire (AARP, 2000).
According to the City of Austin
Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office (NHCD) one in
eight households headed by a person 85 or older needs functional modifications
to their home.
Current Efforts
The majority of public housing for older adults is available through HACA
and TCHA as mentioned earlier. Family Eldercare provides temporary housing
for low-income elderly who are experiencing a housing crisis.
There are seven programs providing home repair and modification services
- five of that are non-profits providing services beyond what the City and
County are providing. The NHCD contracts with the United Cerebral Palsy Association
of the Capital Area to operate the architectural barrier removal program.
The current waiting list for services is approximately one year and, as of
December 1999, there were 748 individuals on the waiting list. Travis County
operates a housing and weatherization program for low-income clients. This
program provides services for both City and County clients and serves approximately
600 clients (elderly and non-elderly) per year (Personal Communication with
Travis County Health and Human Services and Veteran's Services, September
2000).
Local home repair and modification programs provide everything from changing
light bulbs to installing ramps to improve accessibility. An exact estimate
of the number of older adults served through these programs is not available.
Based on the information available, between 750 and 1,000 older adults are
served a year. (For more information on Current
Efforts, see Appendix A.)
Table 5.
Findings and Recommendations
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FINDINGS
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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- Cost of housing is too high for many residents.
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- The community as a whole needs to support innovative housing programs
that provide alternatives for older adults. Efforts should continue
to secure additional federal funds such as the most recent HUD grant.
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- Long waiting lists for home repair and modification keep residents
from getting the help they need. These services are a cost efficient
investment preventing injuries and institutionalization, both of
which are more expensive.
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- Additional resources for home repair and modification need to
be allocated by City and County. Priority should be given to older
adults who are at greatest risk of injury or out of home placement.
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- Lack of coordination of services and community planning that supports
older adults. Although a number of programs exist that provide home
repair and modification, little coordination occurs among providers.
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- Consideration should be given to developing a coordinated and
centralized repair and modification program. See Umbrella Home Services
under best practices.
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Best Practices
Single Room Occupancy (SRO)
This is a housing option that comes in a variety of forms. Typically,
each resident has a private bedroom/living area and shares communal kitchen
and
bath facilities with other residents. Another type might include an efficiency
style kitchen and bath facility for each unit. There are traditionally
three types of structures that have been used for SROs - rehabilitated
hotels or
motels; adapted reuse buildings such as schools or commercial buildings;
and buildings designed and constructed as SRO housing. SRO style housing
is another viable way to provide more affordable housing options that
would easily support the use of assisted living services (Regnier & Culver,
1994).
Accessory Apartments
Accessory apartments are a way to use extra space in single family dwellings.
They are complete apartments that are constructed out of the extra space
left by children who have grown up and left home. These apartments can be
rented out to generate extra income. Additional benefits for older adults
include the added security of having another adult in the house in case of
emergency, increased companionship, and opportunities to trade rent for chores
such as home repairs or shopping.
Home sharing
Home sharing is when an older adult leases space to an unrelated tenant.
Facilities such as kitchen and laundry are shared. These tenants can offer
extra income, companionship, and increased security as well as assist with
household chores. The National Shared Housing Resource Center in Vermont
offers information and technical assistance in the area of inter-generational
home sharing.
Robert
Shaw Echo Village (Austin)
Owned and managed by the Blackland Neighborhood Development Corporation,
this senior housing community consists of six cottages built around a central
outdoor communal area. This project enables seniors to remain connected to
their communities and each other at a price they can afford - $125/month
(Mazur et. al., 1999).
Prairie Creek Village Apartments (Dallas)
Prairie Creek is a 120-unit apartment complex for low-income elderly that
has a service coordinator who connects residents with needed services and
provides timely information on issues impacting seniors. Services include
Meals on Wheels, grocery delivery from an emergency aide program, health
education and free blood pressure checks (Latimer, 2000).
Assisted Living
Assisted living can be defined and implemented in a number of ways. It is
an increasingly popular alternative to nursing home placement for older adults.
Assisted living can be a place where an individual lives, or it can be a
program to help someone stay in his/her own home. Assisted living facilities
are places where older adults can live independently while receiving support
such as meals, health care services, and help with ADLs as necessary. Alternatively
the same supports can be provided to an individual in his/her home removing
the need for placement in a facility. In recent years, Texas has seen a rapid
rise in the number of privately funded assisted living facilities. While
these provide an important alternative to individuals who are financially
comfortable, they are not an option for low income older adults (Latimer).
Nationally, the median cost to live in an assisted living facility is more
than $2,500 a month (Providing
an Affordable Continuum, 2000).
Umbrella Home Services, Ltd. (New York, Florida, Montana)
This non-profit organization provides home maintenance assistance to seniors.
Seniors pay an annual $200 membership fee for a one-story home. Each member
receives a 17-point home inspection report every year that helps homeowners
prioritize repairs and budget for future needs. Some services included are
low cost handyman services, 24-hour emergency response, routine maintenance,
home repair and modification, lawn maintenance, and window washing. A study
in 1988 showed Umbrella members (homeowners) saved over $1,000 per year in
maintenance costs.
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