Housing for seniors

Senior living can be a big problem is the senior is not well to do. Federal and state funded housing programs are available for seniors who are unable to afford retirement homes, in addition to the regular multi-family funded housing. Government funded housing is of two types - public and subsidized. Public housing is owned by the housing authority, which also acts as your landlord. Securing an apartment needs an application and selection process. In case of subsidized housing, the existing landlord is compensated by subsidies for admitting seniors. Rent in both the cases is calculates as a percentage of the senior's income and hovers between 30 to 40% depending on the state. Each program is subject to certain requirements concerning age, income, immigration status and size of the family. Age: Minimum age to become eligible for public funded senior living is 62 years. The family head should have attained this age although younger family members may stay with the seniors. Income: The income of the gross household should be less than the area median income. This amount is assessed and changes yearly, along with the median. Immigration status: At least one member of the household should be a citizen of the US and have a legal immigration status. Family size: The number of persons in the family should be able to accommodate in the apartment. Senior living housing consists of either studios or a single bedroom apartment. One live-in aide is permitted as a part of the family. Application for senor living can be had from individual housing authorities or programs by request. Most of the time, the number of applicants surpasses the number of senior housing available ad there is a waiting list. The chances of success are more when a senior applies to more than one program. Make sure to keep your application updated on your whereabouts and status. Priority is given to certain seniors even on the waiting list. The priority varies from state to state but normally preference is given to seniors whoa re local residents, homeless seniors, veterans, handicapped seniors, seniors facing domestic violence and elderly seniors. For more information and resources on senior living a lot of resources are available on the internet or you could contact the local housing authorities.