Improve access to affordable, accessible housing options that support aging in place.
Strategies:
Through partnerships between the public and private sectors, invest in a variety of affordable housing developments, programs, and initiatives that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
Overview of Progress Made
- DHCD has been working with a range of public and private partners to expand affordable housing development for low-income residents through finance and funding opportunities and multifamily finance programs.
- MDOA has been consulting with DHCD’s Housing and Finance Review Committee to prioritize investment in housing programs that support aging in place through development in key areas and repurposing multi-housing developments to be more accessible to people with disabilities.
- Governor Moore signed an Executive Order in September 2025 to increase housing production across the state, improve the use of state-owned land to create more efficient development, reduce state permitting timelines, and bring more homes to market faster in an effort to tackle housing affordability and address Maryland’s 96,000 unit housing shortage across the state.
Key Initiatives
- HUBS and BCAUSE programs: Provides home modification supports and funding for adults age 65 and over in the greater Baltimore area to allow them to safely age in place.
- Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development Online Application Portal consolidates program and grant applications for a range of HUBS, New Construction, Emergency Mortgage Assistance, and other affordable housing programs in Baltimore City.
- The Maryland Affordable Housing Trust: Promotes affordable housing for low-income residents by funding capital costs and operating expenses of rental and ownership housing, providing financial assistance to nonprofit developers, and financing supportive services for occupants.
- CAPABLE Pilot: Expanding evidence-based home modification and support models in rural communities to help older adults age in place.
- The Department of Housing and Community Development provides financing for developers and contractors.
Improve access to housing options and resources by strengthening and expanding housing navigator networks.
Commit funding to support a statewide initiative that prevents homelessness among older adults and provides housing supports for older adults who are homeless.
Expand aging-in-place options by providing wraparound services that include health care, transportation, and social services in coordination with Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living, Villages, and other community-based aging service providers.
Overview of Progress Made
- Through the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, Maryland agencies received a targeted resource to better guide Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to make effective referrals to connect eligible older Marylanders to low- or no-barrier stable housing and integrated medical care with wrap-around services.
Key Initiatives
- Assistance in Community Integration Services (ACIS): Helps eligible Medicaid participants within Baltimore City, Cecil County, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County who are at risk of institutional placement or homelessness find housing and tenancy-based services.
Increase access to home repair and modification programs that ensure safe and accessible home environments, such as HUBS, BCAUSE, CAPABLE, and Accessible Homes for Seniors.
Overview of Progress Made
- The Department of Housing and Community Development and MDOA partnered to secure public and private funding to expand the CAPABLE home modification model to rural communities over a two-year span. Local service delivery under the grants has launched.
Key Initiatives
- CAPABLE Pilot: Expanding evidence-based home modification and support models in rural communities to help older adults age in place.
Increase access to any applicable state tax credits for income-limited households by lowering income thresholds, increasing property value limitations, and simplifying applications.
Overview of Progress Made
- Department of Housing and Community Development incorporated a permanent supportive housing requirement into the proposed Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program for 2024/2025. Older adults who are chronically homeless will be prioritized for units created under the program.
Key Initiatives
- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program: Encourages the private sector to invest in the construction and rehabilitation of housing for low- and moderate-income families.
Incentivize multigenerational living and expand access to intergenerational co-housing programs that match Marylanders to share housing costs.
Outcomes:
Short-Term (1-3 years)
- Expand the CAPABLE aging-in-place home modification pilot
- Convene state agencies on health, disabilities, housing, and aging to improve integration of services
Mid-Term (4-6 Years)
- Commit funding to address older adult homelessness
- Increase access to affordable housing resources through enhanced navigators, integrated services, and tax credits
Long-Term (7-10 years)
- Increase the number of older adults enrolled in affordable housing programs