Finding affordable Senior Apartments

I'll see ads for "affordable" senior apartments and have to question "affordable for whom????"

If you can actually "afford" them, you usually have "too much income" to qualify. What?

Any program like Section 8 has waiting lists that are years long or closed to new applicants.

In the Fiction and Fantasy section at the library: "Affordable Housing for the Elderly"
 
Decades ago reasonable low cost residence rentals were available for not only seniors but also for low income people. But today, especially in larger urban areas, Wall Street real estate corporations, their financial loan corporations, and their vast army of individual real estate buyers, have bought out out all the less expensive options for housing and jacked up monthly rents for the sake of their profits.

Worse, their politicians have allowed open borders and visa overstays from illegal foreigners putting constant pressure on any low end housing. Those are also primary factors in homelessness though their media will be that last to point at them because such wealthy corps support election campaigns. What they have done here in California with mobile home space rentals is tragic and IMO criminal leaving defenseless poor and seniors without any options.

Locally in my vast urban region, senior only apartments are always priced at luxury levels.
 
Some apartments will do regular rentals, but also accept some low income people, and they are reimbursed by the state for doing that. This is different than regular low-income housing where all of the apartments are for low income people.

Look for ones that say something like “rent assist” or “income based rent”.
Here is an example from one of the apartments that are here in Alabama that offer rental assistance, but are a regular apartment complex where only some of the rentals are income based. They ask you to qualify for the assisted rent.
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I was in a HUD apt building back home that had originally been for seniors. They opened it up some to accommodate low income and special needs people. I think my rent was like $321 even though I only got $800 a month. But it was clean and pleasant and taken care of.
 
There are 4 or 5 HUD apartment complexes here in this town. However, only 1 is within walking distance of shopping and services and is supposed to be nice, but the other 3 or 4 are within walking distance of nothing and I don't know if they're nice or not. They all have waiting lists and I bet the nice complex has the longest waiting list of all. (I've peeked into it in case Huzz goes first and that nice place would cost me about $600/month, which is a steal around here; non-HUD, 1-bedroom apartments start at about $1,200/month and those are the dumps.)
 
In the UK when something is advertised as affordable senior housing, it's usually purpose built and very expensive... and without any of the add -ons that one might find in similar senior housing in the USA... such as Gyms , pool.. tennis courts etc..
 
officerripley said:
There are 4 or 5 HUD apartment complexes here in this town. However, only 1 is within walking distance of shopping and services and is supposed to be nice, but the other 3 or 4 are within walking distance of nothing and I don't know if they're nice or not. They all have waiting lists and I bet the nice complex has the longest waiting list of all. (I've peeked into it in case Huzz goes first and that nice place would cost me about $600/month, which is a steal around here; non-HUD, 1-bedroom apartments start at about $1,200/month and those are the dumps.)
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it's awful isn't it?
 
hollydolly said:
In the UK when something is advertised as affordable senior housing, it's usually purpose built and very expensive... and without any of the add -ons that one might find in similar senior housing in the USA... such as Gyms , pool.. tennis courts etc..
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Most of the senior housing here is just housing. No pools, gyms or tennis courts.
 
MarciKS said:
I would like to find affordable senior apartments where there are other seniors to possibly be around. But I have noticed that most of them cost more than I make in a paycheck to rent. Does anyone here live in an affordable senior apartment? If so, how did you go about finding it?
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Can you not apply for subsidized housing?
You might want to try studio apartments. They are usually cheaper.
 
There are a lot of retirees in the southwest USA. Is there a secret handshake to get low cost housing there, only surrounded by seniors, not crime areas?
 
The cost of apartments has increased right along with the increase in SFH.
I am glad we bought our home when we did back in the 90's. It is a large older home built in the 70s. It is paid off, so here I stay. I thought about selling at one point but aparment living would cost more than staying in the house monthly. Should I have to go into care at some point the sale of the house will go along way.
 
As a new widow, I've been concerned about what to do about housing. I found out I won't be getting my husband's pension (long story) and the $6000 death benefit his union use to give, hasn't existed since 2019. So, I find myself on SS only. We just moved into this house 1 1/2 years ago and it required a LOT of remodeling and cost a ton of money. So, I have a house payment of $1143/month, plus utilities, plus truck payment, etc., etc.

I should have maybe $200/month leftover, if I'm very careful but with winter coming, I think I'll have to dip into our savings.

I've been checking into apartments here, which are very nice patio homes. My rent would be about the same as my house payment. The utilities would be a little cheaper since it would only be 2 bedrooms and about 950 SF. I wouldn't have grass to mow or have any snow shoveling, but I'd still have the truck payment and insurance, etc. By the time I added it up, I'd only be saving around $40/mo. if I went with an apartment.

I checked for any kind of assistance but I don't qualify because I "make too much money"....HA
 
Colleen said:
As a new widow, I've been concerned about what to do about housing. I found out I won't be getting my husband's pension (long story) and the $6000 death benefit his union use to give, hasn't existed since 2019. So, I find myself on SS only. We just moved into this house 1 1/2 years ago and it required a LOT of remodeling and cost a ton of money. So, I have a house payment of $1143/month, plus utilities, plus truck payment, etc., etc.

I should have maybe $200/month leftover, if I'm very careful but with winter coming, I think I'll have to dip into our savings.

I've been checking into apartments here, which are very nice patio homes. My rent would be about the same as my house payment. The utilities would be a little cheaper since it would only be 2 bedrooms and about 950 SF. I wouldn't have grass to mow or have any snow shoveling, but I'd still have the truck payment and insurance, etc. By the time I added it up, I'd only be saving around $40/mo. if I went with an apartment.

I checked for any kind of assistance but I don't qualify because I "make too much money"....HA
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Sorry You're just now finding out about this. about apartments and making too much money. And sorry about your husband, of course. That's very sad. I wish you all the best...
 
Happyflowerlady said:
Some apartments will do regular rentals, but also accept some low income people, and they are reimbursed by the state for doing that. This is different than regular low-income housing where all of the apartments are for low income people.

Look for ones that say something like “rent assist” or “income based rent”.
Here is an example from one of the apartments that are here in Alabama that offer rental assistance, but are a regular apartment complex where only some of the rentals are income based. They ask you to qualify for the assisted rent.
View attachment 311720


View attachment 311719
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I have lived in an LIHTC (low income housing tax credit) senior apartments. Years ago I sold my house and built a 360 sq ft apartment on friends house (17 acres and beautiful grounds). Then came a developer wanting to buy friend's land so I began looking into other arrangements. Didn't know a thing about low income living and figured I would not be eligible. However, decided what the hell, all they can do is say no. Started researching in my area (Raleigh, NC) and learned a new complex was being built close by and got on the waiting list to apply once construction was almost completed.

Was one of the first people to apply (application waiting list was over 100) as applications were accepted in order of the list. Notice these apartments are INCOME based NOT what you have in assets. My actual income came to a little over $2K monthly BUT, had about $450K in assets (CDs, funds, etc) and was accepted coming in at 60% medium income bracket with a monthly rent of $975 for a 2 bedroom. They did multiply my asset total by a small percentage and applied it to my monthly income.

Lived in the apartments for 1.5 years before moving back out to my place at friend's farm. The apartments were great -- absolutely loved the lay out and options. There were 68 units in the building but the property management company didn't handle/resolve situations between residents. Out of 68 units there were maybe 4 or 5 that continued breaking rules and didn't care -- add public drinking and being argumentative didn't go well. It was an easy decision for me as my friend decided not to sell to the developer -- back I went (until she gets a better offer later on down the road).

Bottom line.... wanted to see if I could live in an apartment atmosphere and my conclusion is I would move back there if management changes. Made great friends that I continue to keep up with. Most were single women, several were still working (apartments are 55+) and enjoyed living there.

It never hurts to keep up with future planning in your area. Low income housing is something all areas are dealing with and staying on top of your particular area is crucial. Those units go fast when word gets out - it's better to be on a list and not need it than to need it and not be on the list.
 
YodaRules in NC said:
it's better to be on a list and not need it than to need it and not be on the list.
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That reminds me of something I've keep forgetting to ask someone such as you who has experience with those lists: If you finally rise to the top of the list, a place for you comes up, but you aren't in need of it yet, will they go to the next person on the list but leave you at the top? Or will you drop to the bottom of the list?
 
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