WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and AARP this week released a video of a conversation with Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins discussing their shared priorities for improving housing options for older adults. The conversation took place at Victory Heights, an affordable housing facility for older adults assisted by HUD’s Section 202 program in Washington, D.C.’s Columbia Heights neighborhood. Secretary Fudge and Ms. Jenkins discussed the need for zoning reform to create and build more housing, including accessory dwelling units (ADUs) – both of which would allow more low-income older adults to remain in their homes. They addressed age discrimination and the Secretary’s commitment to the full enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. A disproportionate number of older Americans are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness—an issue exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secretary Fudge and Ms. Jenkins talked about the disproportionate impact climate disasters have on low-income individuals and older adults. Before sitting down for their conversation, Secretary Fudge and Ms. Jenkins toured Victory Heights, whose mission is to provide service-supported housing for older adults and affordable housing to low-and moderate-income older adults and families. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Build Back Better agenda would expand the Section 202 program and create more projects like Victory Heights that provide older adults with an affordable place to live and services that enable them to age in place. The full conversation between Secretary Fudge and Ms. Jenkins can be viewed online here, and clips on aging in place, homelessness among older adults, and housing discrimination are available on the Secretary’s Twitter account.
