摘要: Elderly persons often have special housing needs. The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) conducted case study research that profiles how federal and other funds have been used in rural areas to help meet the housing needs of low-inc... 展开 Elderly persons often have special housing needs. The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) conducted case study research that profiles how federal and other funds have been used in rural areas to help meet the housing needs of low-income elderly homeowners and renters in selected counties. The case studies focus on rural counties with high elderly populations or elderly in-migration rates. Each county examined exhibits substantial use of federal programs to assist elderly homeowners and renters. In many of the counties, these efforts to serve elderly clients have been innovative and involved collaboration among local housing and service providers. Housing for elderly persons has become a pressing issue in America, and has recently received increased attention in both the academic and popular press. About 21 percent of U.S. householders in 1995 were over the age of 65. The percentage in rural areas was slightly higher, with about one quarter of rural householders over age 65. More than half of elderly householders in rural areas were poor or near-poor, with 21 percent below the poverty line and 31 percent between 100 and 200 percent of poverty. The U.S. population over the age of 65 will likely double from 31 million in 1990 to 62 million by 2025, furthermore, the future elderly population will live longer, as average life expectancy is anticipated to increase to 81.2 years in this same time period. These population trends suggest that the housing needs of older Americans will grow in significance. In rural America, additional challenges arise when attempting to house elderly persons adequately and affordably. Sparsely settled rural areas often suffer from limited or nonexistent public transportation and limited social service infrastructure. In this environment, providing affordable housing accessible to the variety of services that improve the quality of life for elderly households can be a complicated task. 收起