According to the Census Bureau, approximately 87 million people living in the U.S. will be 65 years of age or older by 2035, representing 20 percent of the overall population. This unprecedented growth in the older adult population will strain the existing supply of affordable housing, with the number of older renters who are severely cost-burdened—those who pay over 50 percent of their income on housing—projected to rise by approximately three million by 2025. Given little wealth or savings to sustain them in retirement, low-income renters face the most acute housing difficulties as they age, and they are often forced to spend less on other necessities, such as healthcare, food and supportive services.
National Housing Trust partnered with Leading Age to analyze the QAPs from all 50 states to see how Housing Credit Allocating Agencies use LIHTCs to encourage the production and preservation of affordable housing specifically for older adults. The LIHTC is responsible for nearly all the affordable housing built or preserved in the U.S. today and is a critical tool for addressing the current and forthcoming lack of housing affordability for older adults. This report is intended to serve as a resource for understanding the various ways states are working to ensure that older adults have access to affordable rental housing as they age. The analysis revealed that:
- Seven states have established a set-aside for creating or preserving affordable housing for older adults;
- Twenty-seven states award points for creating or preserving affordable housing serving older adults;
- Twenty states award points for providing certain features in affordable housing serving older adults; and
- Three states provide a basis boost for crating or preserving affordable housing serving older adults.
Click here to read the full report, or here to learn how a specific state incentivizes the production and preservation of affordable housing for older adults. For more information, contact Laura Abernathy at labernathy@nhtinc.org.
