Featured
Programs & Services
Housing Solutions Center
This program offers free HUD-certified counseling and assistance to 50-plus homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure. Go
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
This program offers free assistance with tax-return preparation. Go
AARP Benefits QuickLink
See if you qualify for public assistance and you can save money on health care, medication, food, utilities, and more! Go
AARP Drive to End Hunger
Feeding people today, preventing hunger in the future. Join the fight to end hunger. Do
Older People And
HOUSING
Whether people 50+ own or rent, the repercussions from the recession are severe - abandoned neighborhoods, rent increases and a decrease in affordable, subsidized housing. Millions of homeowners can neither sell their homes nor receive approval to refinance their mortgages at today’s much lower interest rates.
Today:
- 13 million adults 50+ live in unaffordable or unsafe housing
- Nearly 25% of household mortgages are underwater - meaning the mortgage is larger than the current value of the house.
- Foreclosures have been at record levels.
Housing in the
News
Housing Is Biggest Expense for Seniors
(Senior Housing News, April 1) - A Social Security Administration report indicates that housing expenses lead all others among those 50+, and that both the poorest and those at the lower end of the age spectrum are hit the hardest. Read
Older Adults Turn to Co-Housing to Save Money
(WCBS-TV, March 26) - Across the country, more than 100 developments feature small homes clustered around communal buildings, in some cases including communal kitchens; establishing ground rules for shared space is key. Read
Nearly Half of Older Workers Will Use Home Equity for Retirement
(NYT, Feb. 5) - A recent survey found, surprisingly, that 47 percent of workers between 50 and 70 plan to rely on the equity in their homes to finance their retirement despite the widespread loss in home values. They may have no other choice. Read
