More Safe, Affordable Housing Needed for Older Americans, AARP Tells Congress

More than 70 percent of adults want to stay in their communities as they age

Molly Snow,

AARP

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Published August 18, 2025

conceptual image for affordable accessible housing

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As older adults on fixed incomes contend with a nationwide housing shortage, many are finding it difficult to afford and maintain homes that also meet their needs as they age.

Outdated zoning laws, high prices and red tape limit the availability of diverse housing options, like duplexes and multifamily housing, that can be constructed to support older adults who want less space to maintain and cheaper prices.

That’s why AARP is advocating for expanded housing options for older adults by urging Congress to pass a series of bills that modernize land-use policies and boost affordable housing.

While land-use and zoning decisions are typically made at the local level, federal lawmakers are seeking to increase transparency around policies that hinder diverse housing options, especially in rural areas.

Together, these proposed reforms seek to ensure older adults are empowered to stay in their communities as they age, if they want to.

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More than 70 percent of adults want to stay in their homes and communities as long as possible, according to the 2024 AARP Home & Community Preferences Survey. Yet expensive mortgages or rents, costs of home upkeep and property taxes remain some of the key reasons older adults plan to move, according to the survey.

“The shortage of housing that is affordable for low- and moderate-income households continues to drive up costs, placing significant financial strain on older adults living on fixed incomes,” wrote Bill Sweeney, AARP’s senior vice president of government affairs, in a July 30 letter to House leaders.

Here's a look at what AARP has been doing on Capitol Hill to expand housing options and make sure older adults have choices when it comes to affordable places to live.

Pushing to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

AARP supported the expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to promote affordable housing, especially for renters.

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The program awards tax credits to homebuilders for building or renovating low-income housing. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump on July 4, expanded and made changes to the program.

New provisions, some taking effect as early as 2026, increase the number of tax credits states can award and lower the bond-financing threshold developers must meet. This means more projects will be eligible for the tax credit.

Most LIHTC properties rent more than 80 percent of their units to low-income tenants, according to AARP’s Public Policy Institute. Among households in which housing costs are a burden, roughly a third include an adult 62 or older.

“The incentive provided through the LIHTC is critical because rental income and returns from investment in affordable housing are not always enough to cover project costs,” wrote Brad Gudzinas in an AARP Public Policy Institute brief.

Tackling outdated zoning laws

Housing options for older adults are also often limited by restrictive local zoning regulations, wrote AARP’s Sweeney in a July 28 letter endorsing the bipartisan Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act.

Introduced in Congress in July, the bill requires cities and counties that receive federal Community Development Block Grants to report on how their land-use policies impact affordable housing.

Nearly three-quarters of land in U.S. cities permits only single-family residences, according to the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

“AARP welcomes the transparency this legislation will foster as we work to expand housing options that reflect the growing and changing needs of American families,” Sweeney wrote.

Maximizing access to public transit

When older adults can access public transit from their homes, their quality of life improves.

Without robust bus, subway or train lines, older adults, especially those with disabilities or those who choose not to drive for financial or health reasons, may find it difficult to get to the grocery store or medical appointments, or to socialize with friends.

To support transit-oriented housing, AARP backed the federal Build More Housing Near Transit Act, introduced in the House and Senate in July, to ensure affordable housing is located near modes of transit.

The bill would give a scoring “boost” to federal grant applicants who propose public transit projects that include regulatory reforms to legalize new housing near transit stations. It would also reduce administrative hurdles to approving these proposals.

“Developing affordable housing near public transportation can help reduce some of the financial burden,” wrote Sweeney in a letter to Senate leaders on July 28. “It enables them to maintain their independence, access essential services and stay connected to their communities.”

Supporting federal housing updates

A federal comprehensive package that combines dozens of policies aimed at improving rural housing, home repair, housing supply and disaster recovery cleared the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in July.

In addition to supporting transit-accessible housing and zoning reforms, the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act includes specific provisions AARP has endorsed, including:

Updating and streamlining federal rural housing programs to make financing applications and approvals less burdensome
Increasing home supply in rural and small towns
Preserving rental assistance
Piloting a program to provide federal grants and forgivable loans to low-income homeowners and qualifying landlords to fix properties in serious disrepair

The bill heads to the full Senate for consideration.

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Molly Snow is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues and state news. She also writes AARP's Today's Tips podcast. She previously worked at other news outlets, including Federal Times, McClatchy and Gannett.