Boston- The Boston Housing Authority submitted a new plan which would increase the elderly resident percentage in its elderly/disabled public housing developments from 70 to 80 percent today.  Called a “Designated Housing Plan,” by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the plan dictates the demographic make-up of elderly and non-elderly disabled residents of the BHA’s elderly/disabled developments.
 
“We look forward to HUD’s review and approval of this plan,” said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle.  “With more and more elders in need of affordable housing, we want to insure that we are providing Boston’s seniors with affordable housing options that they need and deserve.”
 
The BHA currently has 36 public housing developments throughout Boston that specifically house elderly and non-elderly disabled residents.  Those developments have been operating since 2007 under a plan which designates each site as 70% elderly and 30% non-elderly disabled.  BHA’s new plan would change that ratio to 80% elderly and 20% non-elderly disabled.  The BHA would also provide 300 new Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers to non-elderly disabled applicants.  The BHA also houses many additional non-elderly disabled applicants throughout its various housing programs.  Approval of this Plan will bring the BHA’s percentages of elderly and non-elderly disabled residents in designated buildings in line with those of other housing authorities throughout the Commonwealth.
 
The new plan must be reviewed and approved by HUD prior to implementation.  Seniors represent Boston’s fastest-growing and most economically challenged group according to the Boston’s housing report, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030.  The BHA’s plan is consistent with the growing recognition of the need to provide additional housing opportunities for the elderly population, as highlighted by a recent research report from the City of Boston’s Commission on Affairs of the Elderly and the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston.

The Plan which was submitted to HUD included the supporting documents listed below.

A - Public Comments and Responses
B - Interview Presentation
C - Demand Presentation
D - Benchmarking Presentation
E - Occupancy and Waitlist Data
F - Elderly-Disabled Development Descriptions
G - Elderly and Non-Elderly Disabled move-ins
H - Wheelchair Unit Data
I - Priorities and Preferences
J - Alternative Housing Supply Database
K - Alternative Housing Supply Presentation
L - Proposed DHP Implementation Documents