Introducing Resolution for a Hearing on Older Adult Apartment Buildings

It is important that our older adults have the opportunity to age in place with dignity, either in the home they have invested in or in an apartment providing affordable living options. However, throughout Baltimore City, many older Adults are experiencing hazardous living conditions in older adult living facilities, impacting quality of life during what should be their golden years. Complaints have come into my office and several of my colleagues' offices from across the City.

For instance, many older adults live in high-rise buildings, which sometimes have elevator failures that can take months to repair. The lack of access to working elevators impacts older adults’ ability to move safely between floors, to travel and utilize public transportation to access vital resources within their community, and to participate in social and civic activities. In fact, when the elevators do not work, some older adults who are confined to wheelchairs end up sleeping in the lobbies, which is completely unacceptable.

Another example is that many senior buildings do not have adequate security, which makes them vulnerable to violence and theft. The failure to maintain safe, accessible facilities and provide adequate security creates a dangerous environment and affects all aspects of older residents’ lives.

This resolution, being introduced today, seeks a hearing to lift up the voices of our older adult residents and to find solutions to address these issues. Older adults deserve to live out their golden years with comfort and dignity. This hearing will focus on the older adult rental facilities owned by HABC, the RAD program, DHCD, and other affordable living providers.

The hearing will seek to answer the following questions and any others the committee requests:

• The number and location of all older adult designated buildings

• Income requirements of the buildings

• Management and program (RAD or HABC or Private, etc).

• Whether at the time of the hearing, the elevators are working in each building

• The number of 311 complaints levied for each building in the last year, and the resolution

• DHCD inspections of these properties within the last year.

• What policy or financial changes need to be made to accommodate our growing Older Adult population to ensure they live with dignity and care?

We want to be a partner in ensuring that resources and policy are there to assist our residents. If these are resource and policy issues, we need to know that so we can advocate effectively.