service coordinators

SERVICE COORDINATORS

BY lARRY MCNICKLE

An EssentialLink for Seniorsto Age in Place

In 2006, the first wave of 76million aging baby boomersturned 60 years old, ushering ina tsunami age-wave that will

result in a significant increase in thenumber and percentage of seniorcitizens over the next few years. Thecurrent number of persons aged65 and older is projected to doublefrom 35 million [12.4%) to over 70million (20%) in less than twenty-five years. Perhaps more important-ly to public policy makers, thoseaged 85 and older—who are themost frail and in need of services-are projected to quadruple from 3.5million to 14 million. Approximately3.4 million (11%) of the elderly arepoor; the poverty rate for elderlywomen (13.6%) is twice the rate ofelderly men and the poverty rate ofelderly blacks and Hispanics is morethan double the rate for elderlywhites.

How to Help Frail ElderlyRemain in Public HousingThis graying of America will affectevery aspect ofour social, economicand community life, including anincreased need for safe, decent.

affordable and suitable housing forseniors.

Public housing was established toprovide safe, decent and affordablerental housing for low-income fami-lies, elderly and persons with dis-abilities. There are 1.3 millionhouseholds living in public housing,and almost half of all residents areelderly or persons with disabilities.Senior households represent overone-third of public housing resi-dents, including over 50,000 seniorsage 83 and older In some housingagencies (HAs), the elderly andpersons with disabilities may repre-sent over three-fourths of the HA'spublic housing units. While thereare a number of federal programsto provide affordable housing forseniors, public housing is thelargest single federal program forhousing low-income (particularlyvery low-income) seniors.

As documented by the recentCongressional Seniors Commissionand others, as a person ages (partic-ularly those 85 years and older)they generally have an increasedneed for supportive services andhealth care. Increasing numbers ofseniors who are aging in public

ACRONYMSAASC

CDBG

CHSP

E/DSC

HA

HHS

HCV/FSS

PH/FSS

SuperNOFA

ROSS

American Association ofService Coordinators

Community DevelopmentBlock Grant

Congregate Housing ServiceProgram

Elderly /Disobled ServiceCoordinators

Public Housing Agency

Federal Department ofHealth and Humon Services

Housing Choice VouchersFamily Self Sufficiency

Public Housing FamilySelf Sufficiency

Notice of FundingAvailability

Resident Opportunities andSelf Sufficiency

40 Journal of Housing & Community Development

HOUSING

housing have a critical need forsupportive services to enable themto remain in their home, i.e. to agein place. WhUe generally there aremany puhlic and private programsavailable in the community to pro-vide sucb semces as meals, coun-seling, transportation, affordablehousing, day care, housekeepingand health care, the fragmentationin these programs often makes itdifficult for older persons, theircaregivers, and others to accesstbem.

In addition to tbe lack of aware-ness, tbe complexities of some oftbese programs bave bindered time-ly access by many vulnerable elder-ly residents of public bousing. Ifessential supportive services andhealth care are not accessed in atimely manner, frail elderly may beat risk of not being able to remain intheir home. In response to serviceneeds of the elderly and other spe-cial populations, some HAs havehired staff to help link these vulner-able residents with community-

"The benefits of Service Coordinators are innumeroble. (They) offer educationalworkshops, provide counseling, have knowledge of services availablein areas, offer support in times of need, assist with applications foravailable services, and act as a liaison between huHding managementand residents, Tbe Service Coordinators in our Agency stayextremely busy as tbey are available for any resident in tbeirassigned communities, not just the residents on an 'active' caseload."

- Jacksonville Housing Authority, Fla.

based services. Wbile HAs may havedifferent titles for this position, tbeyare usually referred to as servicecoordinators.

What is the Role of theService Coordinator?The role of a service coordinator isto assist fraU seniors and other spe-cial populations to identify and linktbem with a wide range of commu-nity services. Without access to suit-able and affordable options, manymay be forced to move prematurelyto a more costly living situation,such as a nursing home. Servicecoordinators are increasingly recog-nized nationwide as the vital linch-pin in linking older persons withessential community supportiveservices. They have helped tbou-sands of low-income elderly and otb-ers witb tbeir bealtb and supportiveservice needs, tbus enabling tbem toage in place and remain in tbeirbome and community.

HAs have long recognized andappreciated the invaluable role tbatservice coordinators play in belpingthe elderly and persons with disabil-

July/August 2007 41

PORTLAND

CHSP Struggling toSurvive to AssistFrail ElderlyContact:Veronica Sberman King,Director of Resident Services503-335-6801veron ica(S)bapdx.

The Housing Authority ofPortland, Ore. (HAP) has one ofthe nation's longest operatingand most successful CongregateHousing Service Programs(CHSP). HAP is tbe largestprovider of affordable housing inthe state of Oregon, offering avariety of housing options,including 3,900 bousing units in32 properties, 2,400 units of puh-lic bousing in 19 buildings, and8,000 Section 8 rent assistancevouchers. HAP was one of theoriginal CHSP grantees and basbeen able to continue its opera-tion since 1981; it is also one ofthe few HAs funded in the sec-ond-phase CHSP program.

The CHSP program operatesin four of liAP's ten mixed popu-lation high rises. Through CHSPfunds, HAP bas staffed tbreeService Coordinators, and pro-vides one meal seven days aweek, as well as a range of serv-ices tbat are contracted out, suchas housekeeping, transportation,senior companion, personal care,wellness clinics and podiatrycare. Tbe first-phase of CHSPprovides 30 slots in one building;while the second phase provides90 slots. At all sites HAP isresponsible for 50 percent of thecosts and collects 10 percent ofprogram cost from tbe average ofone hundred CHSP participants.Through collaboration withMultnomah County and the StateDepartment on Aging, HAP hasbeen able to secure Medicaidwaiver funds for tbe required

A key concern throughout"the quarter century history ofour successful CHSP programhas been our ongoingstruggle to survive the variouswaves of federal, state andlocal funding cuts. We need todevelop sustainable funds forService Coordinators to enableeffective linkages withessential support serviceneeded by our frail andvulnerable residents.

Veronica Sherman King,HAP director of Resident Services

CHSP matcb. However, recentcuts in tbe state's Medicaid pro-gram have provided challengesfor HAP since there are few ifany alternative sources of fundsfor the required match. The pro-gram is very successful and baswaiting lists through "word ofmouth" and referrals hy tbe AreaAgency on Aging.

In addition to CHSF there areseveral other HAP programs thatstaff Service Coordinators andprovide or link residents witbservices, including the ROSSResident Service Coordinators forElderly and People withDisabilities, PH and HCV FamilySelf-Sufficiency (FSS) programs,and through HOPE VI grants andHomeownership programs.Additional information on theHAP CHSP program is availableat: www.bapdx.org/business/pdfs/0608-Addenduml .pdf andfrom HUD's Senior HousingInformation Center at:www.hud.gov/off ices/pih/pibcc/bolgatehouse. ppt

ities remain independent, as well asbelping families become more self-sufficient. Tbe critical issue formany HAs, bowever, is bow tosecure tbe necessary funds to staffsufficient numbers of service coordi-nators to effectively assist the elder-ly and others with special needs. Arecent NAHRO survey indicatedthat half of tbe HA respondents didnot bave a service coordinator staffposition, even though nearly 82 per-cent believed that there was eitber agreat or moderate need for them.

Where to Obtain AdequateFunding for Public HousingService Coordinators?Even though there are a number ofpotential public and private fundingsources for staffing service coordi-nators, most of tbese fundingsources are scarce, competitive,short-term, uncertain, complex andinadequate to sustain service coor-dinators as a routine part of soundmanagement of public bousing forthe elderly and others witb specialneeds. HAs bave had to struggle topiecemeal together bits and piecesof short-term and uncertain fundingsources. Through sheer persever-ance and creativity, some HAs bavebeen able to patch together a quilt-like arrangement of ongoing fund-ing for their service coordinator(s).Sources that have been used to fundservice coordinators include federalfunds tbrough HUD, such as ROSS,FSS, CHSP, HOPE VI, HOME,CDBG, E/DSC, and OperatingFunds; funds through theDepartment of Health and HumanServices, such as the OlderAmericans Act, Medicaid waivers.System Change, and Social ServiceBlock Crants; and funds from otherfederal agencies, state and local gov-ernments, foundations, and privatedonations.

Tbe Congregate HousingService Program (CHSP) was tbefirst federal program to provide


grants to public housing authorities(as well as non-profit sponsors ofSection 202) to fund service coordi-nators and a range of non-medicalservices, including meals (required),transportation and other services tofrail elderly and persons withdisabilities. The program wasestablished in 1978 (TL95-557) and

revised in 1990. Public bousingagencies represented about balf oftbe hundred-plus grantees; however,many HAs have dropped out ofCHSP because of difficulties insecuring the required match (usual-ly 50 percent). Limited funds (about$8 million in FY 2007) bave beenprovided to extend existing CHSP

projects (including 19 HAs of thecurrent 75 grantees). No new CHSPgrants have been awarded since1995, and CHSP Rinds are not avail-able to expand tbe program. HAsinvolved with CHSP have extensivelong-term experiences witb staffingservice coordinators and linkingservices for targeted residents.

R I C H M O N D

Using Multiple HUD Grantsto Assist Elderly in VariousHousing SettingsContact:Josepb McGreal,RRHA Grants Manager,804-780-4898; 804-640-6418 (cell)j^vmcgrea^rrba. stat& va .us

The Richmond Redevelopment andHousing Authority (HRHA) servesmore tban 10,000 residents in 4,100public bousing units. Tbese unitsare located in 16 femily bousingdevelopments, 9 senior bousingdevelopments, and 2,900 units usingHousing Choice Vouchers (Section8) in scattered-sites throughout thecity. Tb assist the nearly 1,000 elder-ly, RRHA bas used a number ofHUD grants to enahle fi'ail elderly toage-in-place in various bousing set-tings. These settings including 580senior households in the 9 seniorhigh rises; 538 seniors residing inthe seven family developments; and653 seniors (55 + ) using Housing

Choice Vouchers (HCV). The aver-age age of older persons in seniorbousing is 70 years of age with over90 percent living alone, compared toan average age of 61 for seniors infamily housing with ahout 28 per-cent living alone; and an averageage of 67 for HCV senior householdswitb two-thirds living alone.

Tb assist frail older persons insenior bousing, RRHA secured in1995, a ROSS Elderly and DisabledPersons Service Coordinator(E/DSC) grant. The grant enablesRRHA to hire Service Coordinatorsto assist frail elderly in linking withvarious community services. InFY2004, tbe E/DSC program wasshifted hy HUD from the ROSS pro-gram to tbe Public HousingOperating Fimd. Since RRHA hadreceived E/DSC frmds in 1995, it hasbeen one of tbe approximate 130HAs tbat bave been able to extendtbeir existing program.

Over the past few years, E/DSCgrants have been reduced contribut-ing to a reduction in tbe number ofService Coordinators from seven tocurrently only tbree based in part onotber RRHA priority needs. In addi-

Service Coordinators have proven to be an extraordinary resource ~linking essential community services to seniors, and have particularly beena life-saver to many isolated older persons. There is a critical need tosustain ongoing funding for Service Coordinators since it is difficult to planwith multiple short-term and uncertain federal funds.

Joe McGreal, RRHS Grants Manager

tion, RRHA bas received PublicHousing Family Self-Sufficiency(PH/FSS) grants to assist familiesand elderly, and Housing CboiceVoucber Family Selt-Sufficiency(HCV/FSS) grants. Even tbough theHCV/FSS program is primarily forfamilies, many seniors benefit fromHCV/FSS programs sucb as theHope for Healthcare program.Many of RRHA's social, recreationaland supportive services can beobtained in the Calhoun FamilyInvestment Center, a one-stop cen-ter offering a range of services fixjmCity and other community agen-cies, including bealtli screening bythe Richmond Health Department.

In response to a critical shortageof nursing aides, a partnershipbetween RRHA and the YMCAtrains puhlic housing residents for acareer as nursing aides. The awardwinning nurse aide educationprogram, "Hope for Healthcare"includes funding from tbe HOPE VIand FSS programs. Counselorsarrange fbr transportation, cbild-care, and other supportive servicesto assist residents with their nursingaide training and career goals. Notonly does the program assist low-income puhlic housing families togain economic seU-sufficiency, butalso helps to provide nursing aidestaff needed by frail elderly and otb-ers. Infonnation on tbe "Hope forHealthcare" program is available at:www.rrha.org/btml/hope6/health-care.shtml Information on RRHA isavailable at www.rrha.org.

July/August 2007 43

CHICAGO

Sustaining Funds forService Coordinators toLink Senior ServicesContact:Donna DixonCHA Director of Senior

Programs312-913-7398ddi xon(^)thecba .org

The Chicago Housing Authority(CHA) is actively involved in afifteen-year comprehensive Planfor TVansformation to improvethe quality and culture of itsnearly 25,000 units of publichousing, including 9,500 unitsreserved for senior citizens. TheTYansfonnation Plan, approvedby HUD in 2000, is a blueprint torenew tbe pbysical structure ofCHA properties, to promote self-sufficiency tbr puhlic housingresidents, and to reform CHAmanagement. CHA providesaffordable housing for approxi-mately 139,000 residentsthrougb family housing, seniorbousing, and scattered site witbHousing Cboice Vouchers. Thecomprehensive $1.56 billion"nansformation Plan is fimdedwith City General Funds, HopeVI, Section 8 and other federaland state funds, and private flind-ing. The CHA TransformationPlan represents the largest over-haul of public housing in tbenation's bistory.

As part of the Transfor-mation Plan, CHA will rehabili-tate approximately 9,500 seniorhousing units and provide sup-portive service in each of its 55senior buildings. As a means toimprove the quality of life andmanagement of suitable and

Chicago's Plan forTransformation is aboutmaking sure that families,and particularly seniors, wholive in public housing unitsare integrated into the fabricof Chicago. Integrationhappens on a physical level,so the CHA's buildings needto be a part of the largercommunity, but integrationalso happens on aneconomic and social level. Itis important that seniors areconnected to the city'sresources as well as thecultural and social vibrancyof the city.

Bonna Oixon,CHA Director of Senior Programs

affordable housing for seniors,the City designated in 2005, aspart of the Transformation Plan,55 buildings as "senior housing"and restricted future admissionto persons aged 62 and older(younger disabled persons weregiven an option to remain or useHousing Cboice Voucbers tomove to more suitable housing).The $500 million renovation ofsenior housing will be complet-ed this year, and include indi-vidual apartment renovations,enhanced community space forservices, improved access, andother interior and exterior

market appeal improvements.The Resident Service

Coordination Program provideson-site Resident Service Coordi-nators (RSC) to all CHA seniorbuildings. The goal of RSC is to"significantly improve the resi-dents' quality of life, ensuringaccessibility to services tbeyneed and for which tbey are enti-tled, along with providing recre-ational and cultural activitieswithin the building to decreaseisolation. Tbrougb these servic-es, senior citizen public bousingresidents are able to 'age inplace; that is to remain inde-pendent and live in their ownapartment as long as possihle."CHA bas decided to contract outbotb tbe management of tbe sen-ior housing buildings, andstaffing of tbe ServiceCoordinators. The objective is topartnership with otber Citydepartments, as well as withother public and private agen-cies that have experience,expertise, and a mission for link-ing services for public bousingsenior residents. Senior residentscan cboose to participate in tbeprogram, including an initialassessment of need to develop acare plan. In tbe first pbase ofthe program, CHA collaboratedwith the City's Department onAging (an Area Agency onAging) to staff RSCs in 42 of thesenior housing buildings. TheCity and CHA have otber pro-grams to promote linkages witbservices, promote self-sufficien-cy, and for Service Coordinatorsto assist elderly and family puh-lic bousing residents.

For additional informationon the program, please see theCHA website: www.thecha.org/housingdev/ senior_bousing.btml.

44 Journal of Housing &- Community Development

Are There Existing FederalGrants to Fund Public HousingService Coordinators?There are two primary federal grantprograms that HAs can use to staffservice coordinators: ResidentOpportunities and Self Sufficiency[ROSS) and Family Self-Sufficiency(FSS). Both of these program fundsare available through annual, short-term, targeted, competitive grantsadministered by HUD that can assistelderly, as well as persons with dis-abilities and families, residing inpublic housing or using Section 8vouchers.

Resident Opportunities andSelf Sufficiency (T^OSS) - The ROSSprogram provides competitivegrants to public housing authorities,and others, to link elderly and dis-abled residents to services that canhelp them continue to live inde-pendently, as well as grants to sup-port linking public housing residentswith job training, supportive servic-es, resident empowerment activi-ties, and assistance in becomingeconomically self-sufficient. Thereare a number of separate programswithin ROSS that have been restruc-tured as ROSS evolved. While con-solidated under ROSS, theseprograms have separate NOFAs. InFY 2003, ROSS was restructuredfrom CDBG to the Public HousingCapital Fund. In FY 2004 HUD shift-ed the Elderly/Disabled ServiceCoordinator program from ROSS tothe Public Housing Operating Fund(Notice PIH 2003-22), and shiftedthe Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency (PH/FSS) program fromOperating Fund to ROSS. In March2007, HUD announced the FY 2007NOFA for the Elderly and Personswith Disabilities ($20 million) tofund service coordinators and sup-portive services to assist elderly andpersons with disabilities residing inpublic housing. The other two ROSS

programs in the FY 2007 NOFA areFamily and Homeownership ($30million) and Public Housing FamilySelf-Sufficiency ($12 million).Despite the critical need for servicecoordinators and other ROSS pro-grams, ftinding for ROSS bas beencut over the past few years and theadministration's FY 2008 budgetseeks no new ftinds for ROSS.

F amily Self-Sufficiency (FSS) -The FSS program provides competi-tive grants to HAs to promoteemployment, increase savings, andenhance economic independenceand self-sufficiency. There are twoseparate FSS programs; the HousingChoice Voucher (HCV/FSS) pro-gram, targeted to participants(approximately 63,000 families) withSection 8 vouchers, and a separateprogram for public bousing resi-dents (PH/FSS) with approximately8,300 families. The NationalAffordable Housing Act of 1990 thatestablished the program specified"HUD shall provide for the inclusionunder the performance funding sys-tem under section 9 of ...eligibleadministrative costs (including thecosts of employing a full-time service coordina-tors)...." (Section 554).HAs can staff coordinatorsto link FSS families withtraining opportunities, jobplacement organizations,and local employers, aswell as assist participantsto access support services,such as child care, trans-portation, credit counsel-ing and education. EachFSS participant works witha case manager who helpsthem develop and fulfill afive-year action plan to becomemore self-sufficient, including theestablishment of an interest-bearingescrow account. In FY 2004, HUDmade a number of changes with thestructure and allocation of FSSfunds. For the HCV/FSS program

changes were made to more activelypromote homeownership, and HUDshifted the PH/FSS program fromthe Public Housing OperatingBudget to the ROSS program (PIH2003-22). Funding for the HCV/FSSprogram has remained essentiallyflat-funded at $48 million for thepast few years (although about one-third of the 771 HAS that participat-ed in the HCV/FSS program werenot funded due to technical prob-lems with their application), and noFY 2008 funds are requested forROSS, which now includes thePH/FSS program.

Confusion over some of the pro-gram realignment, the shifting focusof the various ROSS and FSS, as wellas significant funding shortfalls,have contributed to disincentives forsome HAs to apply for funds; theyhave also contributed to some HAs'proposals being rejected based ontechnical errors. Nonetheless, thesetwo grant programs provide anopportunity for HAs to securemuch-needed fiinds to staff servicecoordinators. The specific HUD pro-grams that HAs may seek for servicecoordinators may depend upon a

resident's place of residency andservice needs - e.g., whether theHA is trying to assist the elderlyresiding in housing specificallydesignated for seniors (and/ormixed population with persons withdisabilities), for seniors living in

July/August 2007 45

SERVICE COORDINATORS IN PUBLIC HOUSING

CHSPFSS

(HCV:PH)

RevisedCHSP

EST.1978

TimelineE/DSC ROSS

fundedthroughCDBG

EST.1995

ROSSmoved to

CapitalFund 3

PH/FSSshifted to

ROSS

\ E/DSCmovedfrom

ROSS toOperating

Fund

family housing, or seniors usingHousing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)in scattered-site housing.

Although we tend to think ofseniors primarily residing in "seniorhousing," many HAs have signifi-cant numbers of seniors residing infamily housing, including many sen-iors who moved into family housingwhen they were younger, raisedtheir family and now have aged inplace and chose to remain in theirhome. A recent study of the BostonHousing Authority (BHA) revealedthat nearly 40 percent of seniors liv-ing in BHA housing developmentsreside in family housing rather thansenior housing; and have lived in thesame development for 30 years ormore. Therefore, HAs seeking fundsfor service coordinators will need todevelop multifaceted strategies forfunding based on the type of hous-ing setting in which their elderly areaging.

Can Service Coordinators BeFunded Through Public HousingOperating Budgets?The National Affordable HousingAct of 1990 (PLlOl-625) authorizedthe staffing of a service coordinatorthrough the Public Housing

Operating Budget. As specified inthe Act (Section 507(b)(l)(B)),"...any public housing agency forany project with a sufficient numberof residents who are frail elderly orpersons with a disability may beused with respect to...the cost of amanagement staff member to coor-dinate the provision of any serviceswithin the project provided throughany agency of the FederalCovemment or any other public orprivate department, agency ororganization...to enable such resi-dents to live independently and pre-vent placement in nursing homes orinstitution." However, the confereesfor the Act specified, "the cost of aservice coordinator is an eligible costto be paid out of public housingoperating subsidies but is notrequired and is not a separateauthorization." The act also author-izes HAs to fiind up to 15 percent ofthe costs for the provision of servic-es such as meals, housekeeping andchore assistance, personal care,laundry assistance, transportationservices and health-related services.A few years later. Congress sought toaddress the mixed population issueand to ensure linkages of services forfi^ail elderly and for persons with dis-abilities by expanding the staffing ofservice coordinators to public and

other federally assisted housing(previously only authorized forSection 202 elderly housing andSection 811). Section 661 of theHousing Act of 1992 authorized newbudget authority under Section 5(c)of the 1937 Housing Act of $30 mil-lion to staff service coordinators inpublic housing. The statute providesthat "amounts made available underthis clause shall be used to provideadditional annual contributions topublic housing agencies only for thepurpose of providing service coordi-nators and services under this clausefor public housing projects."

As previously noted, in FY 2004HUD shifted the Elderly/DisabledService Coordinator (E/DSC) fiand-ing to Public Housing OperatingFunds; yet, funding is eligible onlyto those HAs tbat were recipients ofan E/DSC grant in 1995. There areapproximately 130 HAs that current-ly are funded through the E/DSCprogram, and they may be renewedannually provided that sufficientBinding is appropriated and that theHAs meet the annual competitiverequirements. The E/DSC objectiveis to assist elderly and persons withdisabilities to continue to live inde-pendently without having to moveto more expensive assisted careenvironments. Grant funds may be


used to pay for the staffing of servicecoordinators who are responsible forsuch actions as working with com-munity service providers to tailorservices to the needs of eligible resi-dents, establishing a system to mon-itor and evaluate service deliveryand outcomes, and coordinatingwith other independent living pro-grams.

HUD also changed the require-ment for HAs to include theElderly/Disabled Service Coordi-nator in their PHA Plans. PHA Planregulations [24 CFR Part 903) permitHUD to request other information inaddition to the required plan compo-nents. HUD is undertaking efforts tostreamline rather than expand PHAPlan submission requirements, soHAs will not be required to includethe E/DSC Program in their PHAPlan. Instead, HAs will need toprovide support for the subsidyamount entered on Part D, Line 3of form HUD-52723, Calculationof Operating Subsidy, in Section 3,Remarks, of the same form or as anattachment to the form.

However, the existing E/DSCcoordinators now need to competewith other critical operating budgetpriorities, and are subject to thesame proportional cuts with PublicHousing Operating Funds.Furthermore, HAs with E/DSCflinding are not eligible to apply forthe ROSS Elderly/Disabled program.HUD has indicated that it will notprovide funding for any new E/DSCprograms. Unfortunately, manyHAs have not been able to includenew or continued funding for serv-ice coordinators due to cuts in theiroperating budget over the past fewyears. For FY 2007, the 110thCongress restored some additionalPublic Housing Operating Fundsand identified service coordinatorsamong critical needs. However,the conferees acknowledged thatHUD was funding public housingagencies at 76 percent of theiroperating budgets. NAHRO projects

a $1 billion shortfall in FY 2008.Therefore, staffing service coordina-tors has to compete with other press-ing needs for limited public housingoperating funds; and HAs must seekother means to sustain ongoingfunds to staff service coordinators.

Other Sources of Funds forService CoordinatorsSome cities and states have devel-oped affordable housing funds, usedtax incentives, and general funds todevelop and operate affordablehousing for seniors and other specialpopulations, including actions tostaff service coordinators and pro-mote linkages between affordablehousing and community-basedservices. For example, the City ofChicago, as part of its 15-yearTiransformation Plan for public hous-ing, has undertaken a multifacetedstrategy to renovate and improveaccess to services for seniors, and toinclude the staffing of service coor-dinators for each of its publichousing senior housing facilities.

While there may be an emergingrecognition of the need for suitableand affordable housing for increas-ing numbers of elderly, includingthe staffing of service coordinators,HAs are caught in a financialsqueeze between the competingneeds of the elderly and other spe-cial populations compared to otherpriorities and pressing needs. Thissituation is exacerbated by the flat-funding or significant cuts in recentyears with various federal funds forpublic housing. These cuts affectspecific grants such as ROSS, FSS,Hope VI; formula-based funds suchas CDBG, HOME and CDBG; andparticularly the Public HousingOperating and Capital Funds.Because of federal funding cuts, anumber of HAs have been forcedto layoff or reduce their servicecoordinator programs. This action-necessary given the funding limita-tions of HAs— is counter-productive

for broader national economic poli-cies for self-sufficiency and long-term care policies that seek toenable frail elderly and persons withdisabilities to be more independentand to avoid premature admission tomore costly settings.

During Hurricane Katrina andother national disasters, servicecoordinators also demonstrated thecritical role that they can play inhelping the elderly and other vul-nerable populations to prepare forand successfully survive natural andother types of emergencies. Servicecoordinators have not only beenable to improve the quality of life forthe elderly and others, but also savepublic funds by delaying or avoidingcostly nursing home. However, HAsand HUD do not directly benefit orreceive any of the pubhc fiindssaved through these housing-linked-with-services actions. Therefore, it issound public policy to increase pub-lic investment of limited federalfunds in service coordinators toensure their routine staffing as partof sound management of publichousing. NAHRO is collaboratingwith the American Association ofService Coordinators (AASC) toexpand sustainable federal fundsfor Public Housing ServiceCoordinators.

Larry McNickle has served as a special assis-tant to NAHRO on senior housing issues. Hehas extensive experience in public policy foraffordable senior housing and related issues.His previous experience includes: Director ofHousing Policy for the American Associationof Housing and Services for the Aging; SeniorAssociate for the U.S. Conference of Mayors;and Legislative Assistant to two CongressionalMembers. He wos instrumental in tbeestablishment of the American Association ofService Coordinators ond served as a charterBoard member. He has received numerousawards in recognition of his leadership onbehalf of older persons. •

July/August 2007 47

service coordinators

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