'It’s really starting to wear on people like me': Seniors struggle to find a place to live

The housing market for older people is at a low point with the demand exceeding the supply and rising rents, but there are organizations that are doing what they can to help.

The New Bedford-based private nonprofit community action agency People Acting in Community Endeavors, or PACE, and its Housing Opportunity Center has programs and resources to help people keep their apartments or their homes and provides one-on-one guidance.

Joyce Martin, 66, has received assistance from PACE in the past to help with utility costs, so when she saw that the organization has a housing department, she reached out and got in touch with Maria Grace, emergency solutions grant coordinator at the Housing Opportunity Center.

She said their priority is being able to pay their $1,400 rent on time so they don’t fall behind and be unable to remain in their apartment for not paying on time, especially after their new landlord raised the rent. She called Grace about three months ago and worked with Grace to pay the landlord.

She said she has no idea where she would go if they had to leave her apartment of 18 years and knows there are other people going through what she’s going through.

“I’m beside myself,” she said. “This world that we’re living in is just so unfair, and it’s really starting to wear on people like me that try do the best I can with what little I get. It’s just hard.”

Waiting for elderly housing since 2009

Martin has applied twice since 2009 for elderly housing and said she’s no further ahead than she was in 2009. Her sister, also disabled, lives with her in the apartment.

“I pray every night,” she said.

The search for apartments on the more affordable side presents a challenge, and even if one is available, it may not be affordable, according to Josh Amaral, assistant executive director of PACE.

A significant number of seniors in New Bedford only receive Social Security, and even if they find an apartment, paying for it may cost 80 percent of their income. He said that doesn’t leave much money to cover the rest of their costs.

“When someone does find a unit, we do what we can to help with the startup costs,” he said. “We also assist by keeping people in their apartments by helping them with their back rent. We do whatever possible to help them keep or secure their place or give them time to search for alternatives.”

Based in New Bedford and covering Greater New Bedford, Amaral said they operate on a person-by-person basis, and it has been particularly difficult the last few years.

“We’re trying to make sure everyone gets on the list for subsidized housing,” he said. “Those sorts of housing developments are developed for seniors to live in.”

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He said stress over housing instability can create health problems for seniors, in turn placing greater stress on healthcare systems.

“We continue to offer Band-Aid solutions like rental assistance to make sure that we’re providing solutions for people who need emergency assistance in the here and now so that they aren’t living in a car, they aren’t living in unsafe situations,” he said.

Fuel assistance and a food bank

PACE also has a fuel assistance program to help people with utility bills and a food bank where people can get food for free to help them realize some savings, even if it’s saving $200 on utility costs, saving $200 a month on food or getting help paying the rent.

“It’s not a glamorous life to take advantage of every service out there, so we try to make it as easy as possible to do that,” he said. “You can piece things together and live stably, but we wish that there were more permanent long-range solutions for seniors who are dealing with these issues.”

Amaral said he can foresee an increase in the number of seniors moving in with their adult children or moving to other states where housing is more affordable.

He said affordable housing and subsidized housing are great, but also market rate housing helps shift the market by driving more units in the community

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” he said. “The more that there are, the cheaper the price should be. I think that that would be a good strategy and one that would particularly benefit seniors.”

Calls to Bristol Elder Services

Bristol Elder Services consistently receives calls each week from seniors (or their families) asking for help finding housing, according to Judy Klein, chief executive officer for the private nonprofit agency serving 15 communities in the Greater Fall River, Attleboro and Taunton areas.

While there’s clearly a need for affordable housing for seniors, with housing one of the top five needs, Klein said the bottom line is that the demand is greater than the supply, especially for those with limited incomes.

“Often the fair market rates are not affordable for them to find private apartments, and in terms of public housing, subsidized housing there isn’t enough of it,” she said. “All public housing management entities have long wait lists so you may be in need of an affordable apartment right now and put your application in, but you might be on the wait list for two years or more.”

By no means is the challenge of finding affordable housing unique, she said. It’s a challenge statewide. Unfortunately, the challenge extends to older adults not being able to keep their homes for reasons such as landlords raising rents.

Klein said there isn’t a list of available housing they can provide to callers but they can guide them through their options. They don’t have someone who can help individuals fill out their applications for subsidized housing but can fill them in on the documentation that’s required.

Under contract with the state’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Klein said the agency provides services and support to elders and disabled adults to keep them independent, with dignity, in their homes. They offer a variety of assistance programs, mostly for people age 60 and older.

Sometimes they are contacted by family members who are looking to relocate to their service area and want to know what is available for seniors and their families. They have a counselor who will work with them to arrange for assistance and support in the home as needed.

Age 55 and older communities

For someone with assets and income who can afford fair market price, there are communities with subsidized apartments, age 55 and older communities, assisted living and nursing homes that they can refer to for follow-up.

With the home care program, case managers work with elders and their families to provide in-home supports to keep them independent in their existing homes. There’s a senior care program with case managers offering in-home support services along with certain insurance programs.

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The protective services program supports elders who are at risk of being abused, neglected or becoming homelessness. Through the Meals on Wheels program, nutrition case workers offer assistance. There’s also an intake department with staff taking calls looking for information.

Housing demand exceeds the supply

“The bottom line is there is no quick and fast answer because the demand does not meet the supply,” she said. “Our goal is to advise people in need of the resources available and try to match them with what’s available. It helps reduce the barriers that sometimes get in the way.”

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One potential barrier for someone with limited income and limited resources is difficulty paying the first and last month’s rent and security deposit for a new residence up front, but she said there are pockets of resources available depending on the community someone wants to live in.

She said there are some programs out in the community that might be able to offer financial assistance to help cover those costs or prevent people from losing their apartment, but that’s also challenging.

Klein said you don’t have to be a client to contact the information referral department for information or direction or ask about the programs they offer or get steered in the right direction if other resources are available.

How to get help for seniors

Bristol Elder Services is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be reached at 508-675-2101 and online at 2101 and online at https://paceinfo.org

The PACE website is https://www.bristolelder.org the main contact number is 508-999-9920 and the email is help@paceinfo.org.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Fall River, New Bedford area private nonprofits seek to help seniors