Redefining advocacy for senior living in Massachusetts

As the growth of the senior population creates the biggest demographic shift in U.S. history, we have an amazing opportunity to benefit from the accumulated wisdom and experiences of older adults. To make the most of this moment, we must work through economic and societal barriers:  

• Seniors in Massachusetts face the second-highest cost of living in the nation and rank last in elder economic security due to high housing costs. 
• Disconnected systems for different kinds of supports often have conflicting eligibility requirements and are challenging to access, making it difficult to navigate the aging experience in America.
• Isolation and loneliness threaten seniors’ physical and mental health.
• Disconnects between housing and healthcare, along with the economic challenges of aging, prematurely force many older adults into nursing homes.

In addition, we live in a culture that too often fails to recognize the extraordinary value older people can bring to our society. When seniors’ needs are met, they will be more likely to make impactful contributions.

Since 1965, 2Life has been on a mission to provide high-quality affordable housing for seniors and create communities where residents can thrive. Our community model has demonstrated impact on creating an optimal aging pathway, but there is not enough housing like 2Life’s, and it is too difficult to replicate on a larger scale without some big changes to public policy. It would take decades to clear 2Life’s current waiting lists.

“It needs to be easier for others to do what we do,” says 2Life CEO Amy Schectman. “Why doesn’t every developer do it? It’s expensive and hard, and the funding systems don’t support it. So, we are working to take steps to make what 2Life is doing the norm, not the exception.” 

It takes a village: An inclusive approach

Transformational change requires a broad coalition of individuals and organizations who agree about what needs to change and share a commitment to dreaming big — together. And yet, systems operate in silos, each with its own challenges:

• Healthcare’s reimbursement system rewards treatment and disincentivizes prevention.
• Homecare agencies face major staffing shortfalls.
• Housing subsidies are misaligned with existing income eligibilities for access to the support services that help keep seniors stably housed.

While place-based strategies that integrate the various programs have proven most efficient and effective, the disconnect between housing and all other supports makes cross-silo collaboration extremely difficult. 

“There’s power in diverse stakeholders with unique perspectives and experiences tackling complex issues side by side,” says Emily Levine, 2Life’s Chief of Advocacy. “There’s growing awareness of challenges facing seniors, and genuine commitment from our local, state, and federal delegations to think more comprehensively about how to replicate 2Life’s proven model. It’s time to think bigger together to transform the aging experience into what it can and should be.” 

Last year, 2Life worked with the Healey-Driscoll Administration to draft language creating a senior housing commission charged with outlining policies, programs, and investments that would unlock the state’s ability to expand the supply of affordable, service-enriched senior housing. The Administration incorporated the language into its transformative housing bond bill, which garnered widespread legislative support and was signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey in August. 

In advocating for the inclusion of the commission, 2Life organized a diverse group of stakeholders — from advocates to insurers and homecare providers who work with seniors across the state. Together, we all see the chance to coalesce around a shared set of goals, leveraging the power of place to create a road map and funding structure for developing more affordable housing with truly integrated services.
 

Amplifying senior voices

2Life’s approach also embraces the power of seniors’ lived experiences and perspectives. To help amplify residents’ voices, 2Life recently hosted the first in a continuing series of workshops to engage residents in our advocacy efforts and explore how their unique experiences can help drive meaningful change.
 

The road ahead: 2Life’s advocacy priorities

Our priorities will always be centered around a commitment to ensuring all seniors have the opportunity to thrive. With partners and residents by our side — and our expertise in developing and managing housing — 2Life has robust plans to tackle urgent issues facing seniors. 

Over the next two years, we will leverage the new commission on senior housing included in the Affordable Homes Act to identify critical eligibility gaps in access to housing, home care, and healthcare, and devise a road map for building more of the kind of service-enriched housing seniors deserve. We also will advocate at the state and federal levels to help make the primary tools for housing production work more effectively to meet the unique needs of seniors.

Key priorities include:

• Reforms to ensure the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program — the most widely leveraged tool for the creation of affordable housing — more effectively responds to the economics of seniors.
• Continuing to organize in support of the next iteration of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act in the 119th Congress.
• Advocating for increased and more senior-specific funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), which offers mobile- and project-based rental subsidies. 
• Calling for needed investment in and reform of the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, a federal program exclusively for nonprofit developers that funds both the development and the operation of deeply affordable supportive housing for low-income older adults.