FY 2023 Older Adult Home Modification Grant Program
Program Description:
The overall purpose of the Older Adult Home Modification Program (OAHMP) is to assist experienced nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities in undertaking comprehensive programs that make safety and functional home modifications repairs and renovations to meet the needs of low-income seniors. The goal of the home modification program is to enable low-income elderly persons to remain in their homes through low-cost, low barrier, high impact home modifications to reduce older adults’ risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility, and to improve their functional abilities in their home. This will enable older adults to remain in their homes, that is, to “age in place,” rather than move to nursing homes or other assisted care facilities.
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes is making available grant funds and training resources to non-federal entities. Under this NOFO, experienced nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities will deliver home modification services to qualified beneficiaries. As required by the appropriation laws that fund the grants under this NOFO, at least one third of funding under this NOFO will be made available to grantees that serve communities with substantial rural populations, as defined below.
The NOFO establishes a program model that incorporates two core concepts: first, as people age, their needs change, and they may need adaptations to their physical environment to live safely at home; second, for any intervention to have the highest impact, the individual’s personal goals and needs must be a driver in determining the actual intervention.
The OAHMP model focuses on low-cost, high-impact home modifications. Examples of these home modifications include installation of grab bars, railings, and lever-handled doorknobs and faucets, as well as the installation of adaptive equipment, such as temporary ramp, tub/shower transfer bench, handheld shower head, raised toilet seat, risers for chairs and sofas, and non-slip strips for tub/shower or stairs. The OAHMP model primarily relies on the expertise of a licensed Occupational Therapist (OT) to ensure that the home modification addresses the client’s specific goals and needs and promotes their full participation in daily life activities. The OT is trained to evaluate clients’ functional abilities and the home environment and has knowledge of the range of low-cost, high-impact environmental modifications and adaptive equipment used to optimize the home environment and increase independence. To help maximize the breadth of the program, the OAHMP also supports using licensed OT Assistants and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists whose work under the grant is overseen by licensed OTs. The OAHMP model also encourages a person-centered approach that motivates and supports older adults as they identify their goals and learn to function safely in their home.
Services made available under this NOFO must be for the benefit of eligible low-income senior homeowners and renters who are at least 62 years old for work within their primary residence. Because of the vulnerable nature of the persons served, awardees of an OAHMP grant are highly encouraged to ensure that the processes employed to qualify projects for home modifications avoid the potential for project implementation delays. One example of potential delay is enrolling a beneficiary whose home requires modifications beyond what HUD defines as maintenance. Proposed projects involving repair or rehabilitation above the maintenance level require an environmental review, either by the grant recipient (if a state, unit of general local government, or Native American tribe), a non-recipient Responsible Entity (state, unit of general local government, or Native American tribe), or by HUD. That environmental review includes consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer and compliance with other federal environmental requirements listed at 24 CFR §58.5 or §50.4. Where the recipient is not a Responsible Entity, project implementation may be delayed 45+ days, pending completion of the environmental review, and approval by HUD, should no non-recipient Responsible Entity be willing/able to assume environmental review responsibilities (see Section VI.B.15 for additional details). To the greatest extent feasible, awardees of OAHMP should select the home modifications identified in the “maintenance” column of the table in Appendix B, Home Modifications/Repairs. Proposed projects that meet the definition of maintenance will not require an environmental review or approval by HUD, and the grantee may proceed with implementation; see Section VI.B.15. Additional guidance will be provided by HUD, post-award.
Funding of approximately $ 30,520,367 is available through this NOFO. HUD expects to make approximately 25 awards from the funds available under this NOFO.
Program Office: Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
Funding Opportunity Title: Older Adult Home Modification Grant Program
Funding Opportunity Number: FR-6700-N-69
Assistance Listing Number: 14.921
OMB Approval Number: 2539-0015
Opening Date: September 15, 2023
Pre-Application Deadline Date: October 16, 2023
Full Application Deadline Date: December 19, 2023