Housing: Narrative Analysis
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I. INTRODUCTION
One of the most critical access issues for grandparents and other relatives and the children they raise is the lack of affordable housing. Although housing is an issue for many Americans, grandparent and other relative caregivers face certain unique barriers:
- They frequently take on caregiving responsibilities with absolutely no warning, let alone with 9 months to plan.
- Many of these caregivers live on fixed incomes and/or in small apartments and houses that are not suitable for children.
- They may no longer be able to afford their apartments or houses after assuming the extra expenses of raising children.
- Many caregivers are physically unable to walk stairs with children and strollers.
- If they live in senior housing where children are often not allowed, they may be subject to eviction if the children are discovered.
- The presence of additional children may violate their private lease agreements.
- If they do not have legal custody of the children, they are frequently unable to convince the housing authorities to recognize their need for larger apartments.
II. GOVERNMENT ASSISSTED HOUSING OPTIONS FOR GRANDFAMILIES
Currently many grandparent and other relative-headed families qualify for several types of government assisted housing. However, these families face a severe shortage of safe, affordable housing as do most other low income populations.[1] The lack of reasonably priced, large, two or more bedroom units is an increasing problem as the public housing system increasingly relies on the Section 8 voucher program for the provision of housing to low income people.[2] Furthermore, even when assisted housing is available, often it is not designed with relative-headed families in mind, does not include special features for both older people and children, and rarely has supportive services to help with the multiple barriers these families often encounter.
III. HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS SPECIFICALLY FOR GRANDFAMILIES
In response to the limited housing options for grandparents and other relatives raising children, a few nonprofit developers and public housing authorities have relied on various public and/or private financing sources to specifically design housing developments for the families. In 1998, the first housing program for grandparents raising grandchildren, known as GrandFamilies House, opened in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Many lessons were learned from this pioneer and seven years later, in 2005, the first new ground-up construction for grandparents raising grandchildren started serving families in the South Bronx, New York. That development – known as GrandParent Family Apartments – has 50 apartments (40 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom) in a six-story, 66,470 square-foot building. The apartments and building are designed to respond to the needs of older caregivers, youth, and children. Design elements include wide hallways, emergency buzzers in each unit, handrails in the bathrooms and hallways, laundry facilities on each floor, and extensive community space with separate rooms for caregivers, youth, and young children. In that space, comprehensive on-site services are available, including educational before- and after-school activities, support groups, and case management. The development also features extensive 24 hour security, including multiple staff at the front desk verifying identities and cross referencing visitors with court orders. As of 2007, another program in Dorchester, Massachusetts and one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana are also serving these families. Many other groups around the country are contemplating building their own developments.
IV. TWO FEDERAL HOUSING LAWS FOR GRANDFAMILIES
HOME Rent Waivers
As part of the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000, 42 U.S.C. section 12745(a)(6)(A) and (B) was passed. This provision allows a project owner to apply for a waiver so that rents can rise to fair market value for (1) a dwelling unit supported by section 8 subsidies that houses at least one elderly person who is the head of the household and is raising grandchildren, great grandchildren, great nieces, and/or great nephews (2) within a housing program that also receives HOME funds. HOME is a federal block grant program that provides resources to states, localities, and non-profit housing sponsors to meet low income housing needs. The problem prior to passage of this law was that although tenant-based Section 8 vouchers allow rents to be fair market value, rents were restricted to often-lower HOME levels if the property also received those federal funds. This decrease in revenue was a serious challenge to GrandFamilies House. It was experiencing an annual operating deficit of approximately $38,000, which was jeopardizing its long-term sustainability. The feasibility of developing additional housing programs for grandparents and other relatives raising children was also a challenge. The waiver allowed GrandFamilies House to obtain fair market value for its rents, which at the time the law was enacted, meant roughly $54,000 a year in revenue. This increased revenue allowed for the continued viability of GrandFamilies House, and facilitates the development of additional grandfamilies housing.
Living Equitably: Grandparents Aiding Children and Youth Act of 2003
LEGACY, Living Equitably: Grandparents Aiding Children and Youth Act of 2003, Public Law 108-186, was enacted in December 2003 as part of the American Dream Downpayment Act. The provisions call for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to (1) distribute grants for demonstration projects to create housing for grandparents and other relatives raising children; (2) provide training to housing officials on issues facing relatives raising children; and (3) work with the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct a national study of the housing needs of grandfamilies. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, Public Law 108-447, later provided $4 million to implement the provisions of LEGACY.
Generations United (GU) worked with HUD to design and deliver the training required by the law. A three-hour satellite training to HUD employees around the country was held on May 30, 2007. Click here for the Power Point slides from that training.
As of December 2007, the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for 2-4 demonstration grants and the national study have yet to be released, but are expected soon. The demonstration grants will be provided to eligible nonprofit organizations to expand “intergenerational” housing for grandparents or other relatives aged 62 or more who are raising child(ren). The age limitation exists because these grant funds are available under the federal elderly housing program, known as section 202. The new intergenerational housing can be created:
(1) by designating and retrofitting existing dwelling units that are located within a project assisted under elderly housing, section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q);
(2) through development of buildings or projects comprised solely of intergenerational dwelling units; or
(3) through the development of an annex or addition to an existing project assisted under section 202, including through the development of elder cottage housing opportunity units that are small, freestanding, barrier free, energy efficient, removable dwelling units located adjacent to a larger project or dwelling.
V. CONCLUSION
In the last decade, federal legislation and developments around the country have begun a trend to respond to the unique housing needs of grandfamilies. Much remains to be done, but policymakers and programmers are well on their way. If you are interested in the LEGACY NOFA, please email us at gu@gu.org and we will put you on an email distribution list to notify once it is released. Also, if you have any comments concerning this analysis, please contact its author: Ana Beltran, Special Advisor, Generations United, at abeltran@gu.org.
[1] Kaufman, S. and Goldberg-Glen, R. (2000). A comparison of low income caregivers in public housing: Differences in grandparents and non grandparent needs and problems. In B. Hayslip and R. Goldberg-Glen (Eds.) Grandparents raising grandchildren: Theoretical, empirical and clinical perspectives. NY: Springer Publishing Co. pp. 369-382.
[2] Sand P. (2001). Generations united under one roof: A briefing paper on housing barriers for grandparents raising grandchildren. Unpublished paper. |
