Congregate Housing for Seniors

What is Congregate Housing?

Congregate Housing is a type of senior housing that takes many forms. Originally it was a kind of Assisted Living in a complex of senior apartments with shared daily meals. In the United States, the term “Congregate Housing” appeared in a 1978 federal law that was intended to provide subsidized housing-with-services to seniors and the disabled. Some “Congregate Housing” is the most affordable of senior housing because part of its cost is covered by government agencies and charitable organizations. Unfortunately though, there has been a shortage of such housing, and a lack of funding for new projects. Nowadays, the term “Congregate Housing” is being used for many types of senior communities from Independent Living to various kinds of Assisted Living. Most of these are not subsidized at all, and have many names including:

Other names for Congregate Housing
Supported Housing Life-care homes Congregate Retirement Housing Congregate Senior Communities	Residential Care Sheltered housing Enriched housing Single room occupancy housing

Is Congregate Housing different from Board & Care Homes, Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes?

Congregate Housing—when it is a form of subsidized housing for low-income seniors—is much like Board & Care. The connection is that both have payment options based on government financial aid, in addition to the option to pay privately. Both types of facilities offer shared meals and some assistance with activities of daily living. This kind of housing has the advantage of government oversight, so that the consumer can have some measure of quality assurance.

The original form of Congregate Housing differs from Independent Living by providing some services: meal preparation and housekeeping, and sometimes more. People living in Congregate Housing units usually do not have their own kitchen. In some complexes, there can be more than one resident per room, and even the bathroom facilities may be shared. By contrast, the main “service” of Independent Living is opportunities for social and recreational activities in a community of seniors, but communal meals and housekeeping—if available—would be options for extra fees.

Congregate Housing nowadays offers so many kinds of help with activities of daily living, that it now falls under the “Assisted Living” category. Unlike a Nursing Home, however, congregate living would not include any major medical care. Typically, Congregate Housing with its apartment life, also offers a measure of privacy and independence that a Nursing Home cannot.

What kind of person needs Congregate Housing?

Congregate Housing is for seniors who are no longer able or willing to live completely independently. They may still wish to live in a private senior apartment, but welcome being free of the responsibilities of grocery shopping, meal preparation and housework. They are capable of getting to the communal dining area independently. As the average age of residents in retirement homes or Congregate Housing has increased, these facilities have evolved to offer more and more services to the frail and needy elderly that prevents having to go to a Nursing Home.

What type of housing or living area does Congregate Housing provide?

Congregate Housing living spaces are similar to retirement homes and some senior apartments. The units are all in one building. There is a common area for socializing, a common kitchen facility, and a dining room for communal meals.
Congregate Housing apartments can be:

studios
one-bedroom apartments
two-bedroom apartments

What services does Congregate Housing offer?

Congregate Housing usually provides the same basic services as most senior retirement apartment complexes:

Congregate Housing Basic Services
Shared meals Housekeeping Secure building	Fulltime staff on duty 24 hours a day to assist residents Areas within the building for socializing with other residents Planned recreational and social activities

Beyond these basic services, Congregate Housing may have these options, often for an extra fee:

Laundry service
Transportation for shopping and doctors' appointments
Health monitoring
Help with taking medications
Assisted daily living

Can Congregate Housing accommodate special needs?

Congregate Housing sometimes offers specialized services for individuals with particular limitations, just like Board & Care homes do. Such facilities may limit their residents to people with:

Alzheimer’s or other dementias
Psychiatric disorders
Physical disabilities

Sometimes such a facility is a good alternative to a nursing home, especially for individuals needing housing-with-services for a limited time period while recovering from an illness or injury, but who do not need constant medical care.

What is the cost for Congregate Housing?

The cost for this type of senior housing ranges between $500 per month to over $4,000 per month. For $500 per month, a senior may get a small one-room apartment with its own bath, and a roommate; but such low rates aren’t available in all communities. In some instances, subsidized housing provides more amenities, including a private room. Three meals a day are usually included, plus activities, and maid service. Many facilities accept seniors who are on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and may require that they share an apartment with another senior. Private, non-subsidized apartments begin at around $1100 per month.

Residents of a Congregate Housing facility must pay for:

either the purchase price or monthly rent for their apartment
security and cleaning deposits
sometimes a buy-in or entry fee into the facility
monthly fees for any optional services that they enroll in

Most facilities have a rental contract or agreement but many do not require a long-term financial commitment. Seniors who like the facility, may stay so long as they do not require more assistance than the facility can provide. If they don't like the facility, they can leave without penalty.

How do I find a Congregate living facility?

You will find general guidelines for deciding on the type of housing and locating it, in Choosing Senior Housing and Residential Care. Searching the Internet under Congregate Housing often yields results that reflect what it has become: a form of Assisted Living. To find Congregate Housing in the sense of subsidized housing for seniors, you can:

Search the web by using a city or state name. If there is a government-sponsored program, in your area, it may appear that way. For example, a search result for “Oregon Congregate Housing” describes housing subsidized by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and by Medicaid in Portland, Oregon.
Check senior resources in your community including local and state government programs for senior citizens, or check with your local senior center.
Find a Geriatric Care Manager—a specialized professional who can tell you about local supported housing options.
Check with HUD or the local Housing Authority for guidance and listings of facilities in your area.