NCB Development Corporation and American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Team Up to Offer Award
December 21, 2000

Washington, D.C. Many seniors go without needed services or families struggle to fill in because of the lack of affordable assisted living, a residential environment that allows seniors to maintain maximum independence and dignity while providing needed supportive and health-related services. This is beginning to change, as pioneers like Rock Cove Assisted Living Facility, High Lookee Lodge and Macdonald Residence overcome financial challenges to bring affordable assisted living within reach of low-income seniors.

"I like living at Rock Cove," says Beauluh Elgin, an 85-year old resident. "If I get into any mishaps, I can get help 24 hours a day. My [apartment]is always clean, my foods are made, and I've made a lot of new friends."

Recently recognized by NCB Development Corporation (NCBDC) and American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) for their exceptional work to make high quality assisted living apartments and services available to low-income older persons, the awards specifically recognize affordable projects that succeed in helping frail seniors maintain their maximum independence, privacy and dignity. With the elderly population growing at a rapid pace, the need for senior care is unprecedented, and the demand for affordable assisted living is exceptional.

With over 10 million households of people 75 and older in America today, assisted living has become a booming business, with companies vying to build deluxe accommodations to provide for affluent consumers. Yet, of this population of older Americans, over 6 million have incomes below $25,000, too little to afford to live in most assisted living residences. Creating more affordable assisted living projects is the only way to help ensure quality of life for these low-income seniors. However, the development of these buildings is not easy and takes determination and expertise.

"Seniors shouldn't be faced with an impossible choice between going without needed services or moving away from friends and family to find an affordable residential community offering privacy and individualized services. Affordable assisted living gives seniors a real chance for maintaining a good quality of life when they can no longer live at home," said Robert Jenkens, vice president of NCBDC. "Developing affordable assisted living is a complex process, but the programs and expertise exists to help communities remove barriers and develop their own assisted living projects for low-income seniors."

NCBDC and AAHSA focus on promoting affordable assisted living across the country. They work with developers and policy makers to establish affordable assisted living as a viable option. In their first ever recognition of affordable assisted living development, NCBDC and AAHSA have granted three innovative and affordable project awards for excellence.

"We created this award not only to find examples of the excellent work in affordable assisted living, but also to prove that it is possible to provide high-quality assisted living at an affordable price," said Ruth Gulyas, AAHSA. "These buildings passed very stringent qualifications to receive these awards, and they were rewarded for their work to provide frail seniors with an excellent place to live at an affordable price."

In Oregon, Rock Cove Assisted Living Facility and High Lookee Lodge tied for first place in the Rural Affordable Assisted Living category, each receiving an award for their work in developing superb affordable assisted living facilities in rural communities. Also in Oregon, MacDonald Residence received the first place award in Urban Affordable Assisted Living, with Penn Home in Pennsylvania winning the honorable mention. The winners must use the award proceeds to benefit their facilities.

These facilities are outstanding models of affordable assisted living. For example, Rock Cove Assisted Living Facility, a 30-unit assisted living facility in Washington State, was created in response to an unmet need for decent housing and services for elderly of all income levels who were not able to live at home, but who did not need continuous skilled nursing care. Half of the units are targeted toward low- and moderate-income seniors. Working in collaboration with partners, Rock Cove Assisted Living overcame challenges posed by the site and community members to obtain the financing needed to make the facility affordable to low-income elderly.

NCBDC's Coming Home Program.a demonstration project launched in 1992 and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.promotes the development of affordable assisted-living for seniors who have incomes of less than $25,000. Under this program, NCBDC provides predevelopment loan funds and development expertise. Coming Home has also developed an effective template for assisted living financing, partnering, housing, services, even architectural design which can be modified to fit the needs of the sponsor.

AAHSA is the national organization of nonprofit long-term care and senior housing providers. At the core of the work of all of AAHSA's members is a mission to serve older people by providing the means for them to live with the greatest level of self-determination, dignity and independence possible.