Kelly, Kaine, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Better Understand, Chart Path Forward on Housing for Older Adults

This week, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Housing Options for Older Adults Act, bipartisan legislation to address critical housing needs of older adults across the nation. The bill mandates a comprehensive study by the Comptroller General of the United States to evaluate housing programs and services for older individuals under the Older Americans Act of 1965. 

This bill was developed following extensive conversations with Arizona’s aging stakeholders, including Kelly’s Seniors Advisory Group, which identified access to affordable housing for older adults as a priority issue within the state. Along with policy recommendations, the study will provide an evaluation of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Healthy Aging and Age-Friendly Communities, analysis of current federal programs focused on accessible senior housing to identify areas of improvement, and review of actual housing availability for the older adult population. 

As the population ages, older adults face increasing challenges in accessing affordable and suitable housing. In 2023, Arizona recorded its highest rates of homelessness since tracking began in 2007, with 14,237 people identified as unhoused, 68 percent of whom were in Maricopa County. Of these, 2,090 were over the age of 55. This trend is reflected nationally, emphasizing the urgent need for this legislation. The GAO report will identify gaps in existing housing programs and provide actionable recommendations to ensure seniors on fixed incomes have access to safe, affordable housing. 

“Our seniors are facing an unprecedented housing crisis, with a growing number of older adults becoming homeless each year,” said Kelly. “We must take action now to understand and address the gaps in our current housing programs. This legislation will help us find solutions so that our seniors have access to safe, affordable housing, allowing them to live with the dignity and security they’ve earned.” 

“Every American deserves to age in comfortable, affordable, and accessible homes,” said Kaine. “That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Housing Options for Older Adults Act to better understand how federal housing programs support Virginians as they age.” 

“This is a crucial step in addressing the desperate housing needs of our aging population,” said Murkowski. “In Alaska and across the nation, seniors face increasing challenges finding affordable and accessible housing. This bipartisan legislation will help us better understand these challenges and chart a path forward. By improving existing programs, we can ensure that older adults have access to safe, affordable housing.”

Background: 

The Older Americans Act (OAA)—due to be reauthorized by September 30th, 2024—supports social services, nutrition services, caregiver programs, and elder abuse prevention for individuals aged 60 and older, with funding allocated to states and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) through annual appropriations. This funding leverages additional state, local, and private resources, significantly increasing its impact. Also shaped by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, reauthorization legislation was considered today by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, which passed the bill 20 to 1. 

In addition to Kelly’s Housing Options for Older Adults Act, the OAA reauthorization legislation also includes Kelly-drafted language to improve older adults’ access to housing weatherization programs to help individuals remain in their homes longer, as well as language to ensure Area Agencies on Aging maintain flexibility over their funding to respond to local needs. 

As a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Kelly is committed to lowering costs for seniors. His plan to lower prescription drug costs was passed in the Inflation Reduction Act nearly two years ago, which has capped insulin products at $35 per month, eliminated cost-sharing for vaccines, and allowed Medicare to negotiate the cost of highest-cost drugs. Starting in 2025, Part D beneficiaries will pay no more than $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.