If you are a member of the American Association of Retired People (AARP), you may have seen an email from that organization about funding for the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program in Florida. The SHIP program has benefited Florida seniors by allowing senior homeowners to make emergency repairs and install accessibility aides. SHIP funds help seniors to locate affordable housing or to modify their current residence to make it livable if they are handicapped. This help can make It possible for a senior to remain in the community they love rather than moving to an institution, or even becoming homeless.
A related program, the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program grants loans to the developers of affordable housing, making it possible for those builders to fill the gap between conventional financing and total development costs. This program is available to non-profits, for-profit builders, public housing entities and individual developers. It benefits seniors because the loan recipients are required to set aside 20 to 40 percent of the residences for individuals who fall below local average income levels. Often, these people are our seniors, the very people OurSeniors.net strives to serve.
Both of these programs offer much needed help to seniors trying to remain in their own homes or to locate affordable alternative housing. It benefits both the state of Florida and Florida’s local communities by making those communities accessible to more seniors and possibly reducing the burden on Medicaid. All told, both programs benefit seniors, their communities and the state. Individuals can get more information about the SHIP at www.floridahousing.org/programs.
AARP was mentioned above because their email warned of a drastic cut in SHIP funding pending in the Florida House of Representatives (the Florida Senate has not cut these funds). Seniors and their friends, family and loved ones should make their feelings known to the man or woman who represents them in the Florida House. You can call your Florida Representative at 1-844-833-9667. If you agree, urge them to stop this effort to cut housing trust fund support and to protect affordable housing programs for seniors.
OurSeniors.net’s core mission is to be informed, vigilant and helpful about anything and everything affecting senior life. When you contact an OurSeniors.net Advisor, you will get trustworthy, unbiased and knowledgeable advice about a wide range of senior issues and opportunities, including-
- Choosing retirement communities in Florida
- Finding 55+ communities in Florida
- Locating a senior real estate specialist
- A Florida attorney search
- Finding a Florida CPA
You can reach OurSeniors.net by phone at 866-333-2657 (se habla Español), or by using this contact link- Contact Us. Check out our website at OurSeniors.net and take an online look at our senior living magazine, OurSeniors.net Magazine.
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