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A few years ago
Miranda's husband passed away. A short time later her grandson
(her only available relative) persuaded her to move across
several states to be closer to him.
He located a nice retirement apartment where meals,
housekeeping, and transportation are provided. By using her
small Social Security income, and funds left by her loving
husband, Miranda was just able to afford her rent and basic
living expenses. She didn't much like taking all her meals in the retirement
community dining room, so she continued to fix some of them in
her own kitchen.
She reluctantly accepted the help of housekeeping for the heavy
cleaning.
But, as she said,
"I need to keep busy. If I can't make my own bed and dust
around I feel like a useless slug. I intend to keep doing for
myself just as long as I can get up out of this chair."
But for one unforeseen disaster, Miranda and I never would have
met, and she would have happily lived on in her sunny apartment.
Disaster struck because Miranda lived
too long.
Both she and her grandson had counted on Miranda dying before
her 85th birthday. It made perfect sense, they thought, as her
family was not generally long-lived.
Her sister and brothers had all passed away at relatively young
ages, as had her parents. Miranda figured she would be long gone
before her money ran out.
Shortly after her 87th birthday there was only enough left to cover two more months in the
retirement apartment. What was
she to do?
Her monthly income of under $900 wasn't enough to pay for rent,
utilities, food, and her medications in the least expensive
apartment her grandson could find. He asked me to find her a place in a
Medicaid nursing home.
Miranda
certainly wasn't nursing home material!
There was nothing wrong with her mind. She could fix her own
meals, and she could keep up her apartment (with a little muscle
help). She really had no medical needs, and wouldn't have
qualified for Medicaid and nursing home care even if she had
wanted to.
Which she most certainly didn't.
Her only real problem was lack of money (and a grandson who
wasn't any better at planning ahead than she was).
After talking with her doctor and the manager of her apartment
to confirm that she really was capable, I set out to try to find
a "Section 202" low-income apartment.
Section 202 housing - named after the section of the federal
legislation authorizing it - is affordable housing specifically
for people over the age of 62 who have incomes under 50 percent
of the area median income.
According to HUD,
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the
average Section 202 resident is a woman in her 70s with an
annual income of less than $10,000.
Section 202 low-income housing is built and run by private,
non-profit groups who have received loan incentives from HUD.
HUD is not involved in day to day operations. Rents are
calculated according to income, and rental assistance funds pay
whatever balance remains.
Luckily for them, Miranda and her grandson live in a large
metropolitan area. There are always more options in a
larger town. But somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of Section
202 funds have been set aside for use in non- metropolitan areas,
so these apartments aren't only to be found in big cities.
Hunting for a Section 202 apartment can be labor-intensive. When
a low-income apartment becomes available it rarely stays empty
long. Often there are lengthy waiting lists.
The first piece of business was to telephone every apartment
complex on the Section 202 list (here's the
HUD web address
to get a list). I verified that they were still
participating in the program, and asked whether they had any
vacancies.
Frankly, I didn't expect a "yes" to the vacancy
question, but it never hurts to ask.
Lo and behold, and miraculously for Miranda, there actually was
a vacancy in an older rent-subsidized building near downtown.
Because it's not in the pretty suburbs it isn't as popular as
some of the others. For our purposes, it was a palace and a
kingdom all in one. Beggars couldn't be choosers!
If there hadn't been a vacancy, Miranda and her grandson would
have had to visit each and every affordable housing apartment
complex and place her name on each and every waiting list.
Sometimes the wait can be as long as 2 years or more for a
rent-subsidized apartment, so it's not a good idea to wait as
long as Miranda did.
Along with her application form, Miranda was required to give
the apartment manager proof of her income (a Social Security
statement or a pay stub). She was asked about previous
landlords who could vouch to her suitability as a tenant. She
was asked to provide copies of her pharmacy bills, as those
expenses are taken into account when the rent is calculated.
This particular apartment manager also wanted a statement from
her doctor that she was truly independent.
If she had planned on visiting multiple places, Miranda would
have taken along several photocopies of all her information so
she could leave it everywhere she applied.
This is where having someone to come along is invaluable. The
job can be overwhelming and exhausting for an older person.
If she hadn't found this affordable place, Miranda probably
would have had to move in with her grandson (NOT a happy thought
for either of them), or find a little private room to rent in
someone's home, or try to find someone looking for a roommate. I
was ready to try whatever it took to keep her off the street.
Because time was short Miranda had to take what was available.
She has since put her name on the waiting list at two other
apartments that are a little nicer and closer to her grandson.
The great thing about Section 202 apartments is that you can
move whenever and wherever you wish - depending of course on the
terms of the lease you have signed.
Here's a
directory of Section 202 rent subsidized
housing for all states.
If you or someone you care for is over 62 and on a limited
income, Section 202 housing can be a lifesaver. It's very
important to plan ahead, though, because these apartments are
popular.
If you have concerns about finances becoming a problem in the
future, start NOW to investigate your options. There's nothing
more frightening than outliving your savings - - just ask
Miranda.
Related Article:
Home Sharing: A Housing Alternative
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