Critical need for affordable senior housing

The Bart Harvey is just a building, but it rescued Felicity Morrison from a homeless shelter.

Morrison, 63, lived in a Seattle shelter for a year after losing her job and being evicted. It was a place full of unsavory characters and no privacy — a "hell on Earth," Morrison calls it.

A few months back, a counselor learned of The Bart Harvey development, 50 brand new apartments in Seattle for seniors 62 and over who earn half of the area median income, or less. Morrison qualified, and moved into her one-bedroom unit last month.

"My apartment is really beautiful," said Morrison, who receives $1,057 monthly in Social Security and disability payments and pays $270 a month in rent. "I can sit in my living room and see Lake Union. I can see the boats on the water."

Morrison's story stirs emotions. We need more like it.

"Housing affordability is, quite frankly, almost a crisis for many older Americans. It's getting worse over time," said Elinor Ginzler, AARP's housing expert. "Many low-income seniors ... find themselves in a position where they can't afford a fair market rent and are closed out of waiting lists for subsidized rentals."

Along with health care, housing availability for the nation's poorest seniors is the most important issue facing our growing older population. A Congressional report done earlier this decade by a commission on affordable housing and health needs for seniors said one in six people will be age 65 or older in 2020. Today, the ratio is one in 12.

Demand for government-subsidized rental properties for seniors far outweighs current and planned future supply: Many existing buildings desperately require updating. Hundreds of units are lost when buildings that were once financed under Housing and Urban Development Department programs become obsolete or are sold.

Despite efforts of nonprofit groups and developers, new construction isn't keeping pace with demand, especially during a recession, where financing is hard to get.

The low-income senior population lives mostly on fixed incomes from Social Security. Two in five households 65 or older earn less than half of the national median income, and about one in 10 household heads in that age group live in poverty, according to Census data.

Government support comes from several sources, including tax credits for investors in affordable housing, and the Section 202 program that provides grants and rental help through nonprofit sponsors of low-income senior housing projects.