In April 2021, HUD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established an interagency agreement (IAA) to leverage opportunities and resources in support of shared agency priorities related to aging in place, which refers to “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” The first priority of the IAA was to assess evidence informed approaches for affordable housing programs that coordinate health, wellness, and supportive services to help older adults remain healthy, age in their community, and reduce their use of costly health care services. The subject report supports Strategic Goal 4C: Integrate Health and Housing from HUD’s FY 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, which includes a strategy to prioritize aging in place for older adults. This report supports the first two goals of the IAA: identify evidence-informed policies and practices related to aging in place and narrow the scope to what is needed, relevant and immediate for HUD-assisted tenants at this time.

CDC, with support from the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC), conducted a literature review and environmental scan, a review of published evidence reviews, and interviews with CDC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), which led to the identification of 24 broad categories of interventions with sufficient or strong evidence pertinent to the health of older adults. These interventions were then sorted by highest-level of evidence and one of four avenues for potential action: 1) Physical Housing Standards and/or Enhancements, 2) Healthcare System Interventions and Partnership Opportunities, 3) Programs and Services HUD Could Offer or Partner to Provide, and 4) Existing Community Characteristics and Services. In the subject report, CDC suggests that avenues 2) and 3) have the strongest published and contextual evidence to support their consideration for possible action by HUD and partners.

CDC briefed HUD on their report findings in May 2023, and held a federal interagency workshop in June 2023, to discuss the feasibility of implementing the proposed interventions; define existing barriers and challenges associated with coordinating federal supportive services programs; and discuss opportunities for interagency collaboration or alignment, and cost-sharing options.

The report Foreword from Solomon J. Greene, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, is available here from HUD User.

Download the Foreword from Solomon J. Greene here