Does the phrase low income senior housing bring anything to mind when you hear it? You should think it means affordable, clean, healthy housing such as condos or apartments for senior citizens. It is fairly easy to find the clean and healthy senior living space. It is the affordability that warrants further discussion.



Unfortunately our older populations are showing a wide disparity in income levels across the United States. This may be true in other societies too. This gap is not readily identified in everyday shopping patterns or in made for TV polls. But the truth is the gap is showing up. Naturally seniors are aware of this gap and are more than happy to talk about it if people will listen.

Is low income senior housing a solution for this problem? Historically the middle class and more affluent American seniors would not even consider the idea of living in a senior project. In the United States the aging population are primarily baby boomers who grew up being taught to be self reliant. They were to build their own retirement income. This is especially true of the generations from the Great Depression up through the seventies. The idea of even needing this type of housing was thought of as a defeat.

Somewhere along the time of the beginning of the new millennium a new realization of a change in public opinion was developing. Predictable family situations, lifelong employment, fully funded retirement packages and other historic stabilities were fast becoming a thing of the past. Along with these changes a new national opinion on what low income senior housing should be developed.

There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of senior citizens that are looking for sensible low income senior housing. When Senator Hillary Clinton was interviewed on a popular talk show the topic was that of a recent tax bill. Senator Clinton indicated that millions of Americans earning less than $27,000 a year would get no benefit from the proposed tax cut. So you think this cut is for the rich. Oddly enough the talk show host could not imagine anyone even living on just $27,000 so it is all relative!

It is still relative but the number of seniors looking for a sensible housing alternative has skyrocketed. On a popular night-time talk show, the host interviewed Senator Hillary Clinton, and the topic was a recent tax bill. The senator said that millions of Americans earning less than $27,000 per year would get nothing from the proposed tax cut. Fair enough, you think, it is for the rich. Now, here is the spin, The talk show host said he could not imagine anyone living on just $27,000 per year, and so you see its relative.

These millions of seniors who actually have to live on less than $27,000 per year see that low income housing looks like a great solution for them. Sadly the threshold for qualifying for this housing is actually lower than the $27,000 figure. It is normally between $17,500 and $22,500 per year.