Patricia Harris Manor receives HUD grant for $212,061

Published 3:35 pm Thursday, October 9, 2014

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded almost $7.5 million in grants to help senior citizens and individuals with disabilities — including some in Redmond.

The money will go toward helping people to receive health care, meals and other critical supportive services.

Patricia Harris Manor in Redmond, which was acquired by the King County Housing Authority (KCHA) in December 2013, received $212,061.

The complex has 41 units and houses 54 residents — many of which are frail and elderly — said Rhonda Rosenberg, communication director for KCHA.

The grant money will go toward hiring or contracting service coordinators with backgrounds in providing social services — especially to the frail elderly and people with disabilities — to assist their residents with special needs. A total of 39 grants were awarded to owners of private housing developments that receive rental subsidies from HUD to house low-income individuals in 21 states.

Rosenberg said these service coordinators will not be providing the services, but they will be able to connect residents with the services they need to stay healthy and independent. For example, the coordinators will be able to help residents gain access to public benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare Part B, Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She said the service coordinators could also help residents with mobility issues if they need to physically modify their residence to help them get around their unit.

“These grants will go a long way toward ensuring these vulnerable populations are well served and allowed to age in place,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro in an HUD press release.

The grants are awarded through HUD’s Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator Program (MHSC).

The grants awarded are designed for an initial three-year period to allow eligible owners of multifamily housing for the elderly or disabled, to hire and support a service coordinator. The funds cover such costs as salary, benefits, quality assurance, training, office space, equipment and other related administrative expenses.

A 2008 HUD report found aging in place reduces rates of premature institutionalization for low-income elderly residents, thus reducing the costs borne by taxpayers.

According to the HUD press release, as the U.S. population ages and the number of older Americans grows, there will be an increased need for programs to help very low-income elderly persons to continue living independently in their homes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 35 million people age 65 years or older in the U.S. in 2000, and it estimates that by 2050 that number will climb to 80 million.