How HUD Senior Housing Works: Apartments for People 62 and Older

Some apartment buildings are set aside for older adults. Most of the folks who live there have low incomes. Many of these buildings get help from HUD.

HUD stands for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is the federal office in charge of housing aid.

One HUD program was made just for older adults. It is called Section 202. The full name is Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly. These buildings rent to people age 62 and older. Rent is not a fixed price. It is based on income.

This guide explains how these homes work. You will learn who can live there. You will learn how rent is set. You will also learn how to apply. And you will learn what papers to bring.

What Section 202 housing is

Section 202 helps nonprofit groups build apartments for older adults. It also helps them run those apartments. A nonprofit group does not work for profit. HUD gives these groups money to build the homes. HUD helps pay part of the cost to run them too.

The homes are normal apartments. Most have one bedroom. Some are studio units, with no separate bedroom. Each home has its own kitchen. Each home has its own bath too.

Some buildings offer a bit of extra help. Staff may plan group meals. They may set up rides. A service coordinator may help you find aid nearby. That is a staff member who links residents to local help. What you get varies by building. These homes do not give hands-on care. That means no help with baths. And no help with drugs.

You can see how these homes fit with other choices. Look at our living options page. You can also search by state. For instance, you can look at independent living homes in California.

How rent is set

Rent in a Section 202 home depends on what you earn. The rule is short and clear. You pay 30% of your adjusted income for rent. HUD pays the rest of the approved rent cost.

Adjusted income is not the same as total pay. The building counts income from all sources first. Then it takes out some amounts. HUD rules say which ones. For older adults, health costs can count here. Staff do this math with you. They check your income once a year.

This rule means rent can move when income moves. Your income drops, and your rent can drop too. Your income goes up, and your rent can go up. Ask the building how changes work. Ask how much notice you will get.

Buildings with no HUD help price rent in a different way. The owner sets the rent there. It can be much higher. Prices vary by city. They vary by building too. There is no single price for senior apartments.

Who can live there

Three tests decide who can move in.

First comes age. At least one person in the home must be age 62 or older. That is checked when the lease starts. Some other HUD homes for older adults use this same rule. Ask the building who must meet the age test in your home.

Next comes income. Your household income must be at or below the limit for your area. HUD sets these limits each year. They are based on local income levels. A big city limit can be higher. A small town limit can be lower. Section 202 serves people with very low income. So the limits are strict.

Third, the building looks at your rental past. Staff check if you pay rent on time. They check if you were ever asked to leave a home. Each building sets its own screening rules. Those rules must stay within the law.

Rules about citizenship can apply too. HUD aid has rules on who can get help. The building will tell you what proof it needs.

How to apply

You apply at the building. You do not go to a HUD office. HUD does not take applications for these homes. HUD does not keep one national list either.

Start by finding buildings near you. The HUD website lists homes that get HUD help. Your local housing authority can give you names too. A housing authority runs housing aid in your area. Your Area Agency on Aging can help as well. That office links older adults to local services.

Next, call each building. Ask if the waiting list is open. Ask what size homes they have. Ask what the income limit is. Ask what papers you need.

Then fill out the form for that building. Fill in every part. Gaps on a form can slow your place on the list. Keep a copy of all you send.

Apply at more than one building if you can. Each building keeps its own list. Your name on one list puts you on no other list.

Waiting lists

Most Section 202 buildings have a waiting list. Lots of people want these homes. There are not many of them. Waits can last months in some areas. In other areas, they can last years.

Some lists close when they get too long. A closed list takes no new names. Call back now and then. Ask if a closed list has opened again.

While you wait, keep your contact details current. Tell the building if your phone changes. Tell them if your address changes. Staff who cannot reach you may drop your name.

When your name comes up, staff check income and age again. Have your papers ready. That helps this step move fast.

What to bring when you apply

Bring clear proof for each fact on the form. Staff will ask for most of these items.

If you are missing an item, ask what else they can take. Do not skip applying for that reason. One hard-to-find paper should not stop you.

• A photo ID. A driver's license works. So does a state ID card.
• Proof of age. A birth record works well.
• Social Security cards. Bring one for each person who will live in the home.
• Proof of income. A Social Security award letter works. Pay records work too.
• Bank records from the past few months.
• Proof of health costs. Bring this if you want those costs counted in the rent math.
• Names and phone numbers for past landlords.

Who pays for what

• Private pay with HUD help: you pay 30% of your adjusted income as rent. HUD pays the building the rest of the approved cost.
• Medicare does not pay rent for these homes. Medicare pays for covered health care. It does not pay for housing.
• Medicaid does not pay rent here either. Some state Medicaid programs pay for care services in the home. Rent is not one of those services.
• You still pay your own daily costs. That means food and phone. It means other day-to-day needs too. The lease spells this out.

Sample situation

James is 70 and lives alone. His income is $1,000 a month from Social Security. He finds a Section 202 building two miles from his sister.

He calls the building first. Staff say the waiting list is open. They tell him the income limit for the area and what papers to bring. He fills out the form at the office and keeps a copy.

His name comes up after a long wait. Staff check his income again. His adjusted income is close to $1,000 a month. Under the HUD rule, his rent is set at 30% of that sum, which is about $300 a month. HUD pays the rest of the approved rent cost. James still pays for his food and phone on his own.

First steps

• Make a list of Section 202 buildings near you. Start with the HUD website.
• Call your local housing authority. Ask for more building names.
• Call each building. Ask if its waiting list is open.
• Ask each building for its income limit. Ask for its list of papers to bring too.
• Put your ID in one folder. Add proof of age and income records.
• Apply at each building with an open list. Keep copies of each form.
• Tell each building right away if your phone changes. Do the same if your address changes.
• Get free help from your Area Agency on Aging. It can help if the forms feel hard. Find that office through the Eldercare Locator.

Sources

• https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/mfh/progdesc/eld202
• https://www.hud.gov/topics/information_for_senior_citizens
• https://www.hud.gov/helping-americans/housing-choice-vouchers-tenants
• https://eldercare.acl.gov
• https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/long-term-care