NHC member National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) was recently awarded the 2015 Friend of the Elderly Award, given by the Retirement Housing Foundation, Inc. at its annual anniversary celebration. The award recognizes organizations and individuals who have made substantial contributions to the housing, health, social, spiritual or psychological quality of life of older adults.
Past recipients of the Friend of the Elderly Award include former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, the Alzheimer’s Association, NHC member LeadingAgeand Meals on Wheels. NAHMA is celebrated for advocating on behalf of and working with property managers and owners to ensure older adults and other underserved populations have access to quality, safe affordable housing.
“We are honored to be acknowledged for our work to advance the development and preservation of decent and safe affordable housing,” NAHMA Executive Director Kris Cook said in a press release. “It is a priority for NAHMA to be a leading advocate for the property managers and owners who provide quality affordable housing to the elderly, people with disabilities or the working poor.”
Research shows that by 2030, one in five people in the United States will be 65 or older, so it is vital that housing advocates continue to ensure affordable housing options and supportive services be available to older adults. A case study NHC produced last year for the MacArthur Foundation’s How Housing Matters Conference provides an example of such service-enriched housing in a profile of the Richmond Health and Wellness Program clinic in Richmond, Virginia. The clinic, located in a Section 8 finance affordable apartment building, offers care coordination, wellness education and much more to help residents maintain their health between doctor visits. More research on housing and older adults can be found on our website.
The award was presented to NAHMA in California on Feb. 27.