[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 171 (Monday, December 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S10810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ELDERLY HOUSING

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to praise the passage of S. 
118, the section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Act. Earlier 
this Congress, Senator Schumer and I introduced S. 118 to modernize and 
improve section 202 housing for seniors across the country. This piece 
of legislation will help ensure that seniors have accessible, safe and 
affordable housing so they can live independently and with dignity, 
while also saving the government money by keeping people out of 
expensive nursing homes.
  HUD's senior housing program, also known as the section 202 program, 
provides capital grants to enable the development of supportive housing 
exclusively for the very low-income elderly population. Unfortunately, 
the 202 program has been unable to address the growing demand. For 
every available unit, there are ten seniors waiting to move in. Under 
the current law, the development and preservation of existing 202 
communities can be time-consuming, bureaucratic and often require 
duplicative waivers and special permission from HUD to complete.
  Additionally, the program provides rental subsidies and grants to 
fund supportive services for seniors, such as in-home care and 
transportation. Over one-third of the section 202 population is 
considered disabled enough to be at risk for being put in a nursing 
home. By reducing the need for costly nursing home stays, access to 
these types of services saves both seniors and the government money.
  Modernizing the elderly housing program will promote the preservation 
and renovation of existing 202 developments. Many properties are in 
need of both rehabilitation and increased access to services that help 
seniors to remain in their homes. This legislation will help provide 
the modernization they desperately need.
  I want to thank the American Association of Homes and Services for 
the Aging as well as the Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services 
for the Aging for being champions of this legislation and for working 
with us to develop a comprehensive bill that will help meet the growing 
need for senior housing in this Nation.
  I also want to thank Senator Dodd and his staff for all of his 
efforts to move this legislation. He has always been great to work with 
and he will be greatly missed next year. And I want to extend my 
appreciation to Senator Shelby and his staff for working with us on 
this bill.
  Senior citizens deserve to have housing that will help them maintain 
their independence. It is my hope that with the passage of S. 118, many 
more Americans have a place to call home during their golden years.

                          ____________________