SESSION ABSTRACT - Incorporating health into housing decisions: Potential health implications for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities

By 2040, the U.S. population aged 65 and older is projected to double, reaching 80 million individuals and representing 20% of the total population. The availability, accessibility, and affordability of supports for seniors, including health-promoting services and features in residential and neighborhood settings will be increasingly important considerations.  For low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, subsidized rental housing tied to supportive services has been viewed as a platform for community integration and “Aging in Place”.

Stemming from work through the National Prevention Council (NPC), and in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, we piloted the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as an opportunity for collaborative, cross-sector efforts that consider prevention and health in areas where they may not typically be considered, such as housing policy. This panel will discuss efforts in multiple arenas to incorporate the consideration of health into housing, using HIA as an approach to promote “Aging in Place”.  Panelists will discuss how HIA relates to the NPC goals; describe the opportunities and challenges of piloting an HIA on federal housing policy; present the ways in which large Public Housing Authorities in the United States are working to support “Aging in Place”; and describe the efforts of a local Public Housing Authority to incorporate the consideration of health into housing and service needs of seniors and persons with disabilities in their community.