Exhibit A [Forthcoming: Notice and Public Comment] Exhibit B We conducted 20+ informational interviews to learn more about the housing needs of elderly and NED population Over the course of 2 months, we conducted a series of phone interviews with the elderly and non• elderly disabled population in the Greater Boston area in order to learn about: • Specific living preferences and requirements • The housing search and application process as well as alternative housing options • The size and needs of each respective population We conducted over 20 interviews with BHA residents and BHA current/former applicants as well as experts from the following organizations: • City of Boston's Elderly Commission • Boston Medical Center's Elders Living at Home • City of Boston's Commission for Persons with Program (ELAHP) Disabilities • Ethos • Hearth, Inc. • Massachusetts Association of Older Americans • HomeStart, Inc. • Boston Center for Independent Living We discovered structural and systematic disadvantages that the elderly face throughout the application process A number of factors add structural difficulties to the elderly throughout the application process Category Filter throughout housing application .Elderly I NEDdifference Qualify for BHA unit The elderly are more Choose to apply likely to continue living to the BHA in unsafe/unreasonable •alternatives The elderly are more Able to live in geographically constrained available geographies • The elderly are concerned Choose to live in mixed about living with the age demographic housing • non-elderly disabled The elderly need more help Put together strong accessing the application application •process Elderly applicants are less likely to successfully complete an . application, and less likely to be represented on waiting lists • NED applicant • Elderly applicant 2 •Seniors often stay in unsafe I unreasonable housing Comments Supporting quotes • Seniors will stay in housing that is unsustainably expensive Many housing "I stayed with a friend ot 20 years, and it was just • Seniors will stay with alternatives for kind of either I will sleep on the couch or you will acquaintances that offer no sleep on the couch [...J he is a drunk, so it didn't seniors are not stability go smoothly" viable • Seniors will stay in nursing homes - Marian, BHA Elderly Resident or hospitals • It is more difficult to get seniors to However, go through the necessary seniors often ,,[Seniorssay,J 'By the time they get to my name, application steps I will be dead.' It often takes a lot of fail to seek out • Seniors often "feel hopeless and encour:agementfor them to apply." better housing don't see the point" - Boston area public official for elderly issues options • NED can apply within BHA along different paths Elderly options - MassHealth's vouchers are "There are more waitlists that disabled people are more limited can apply, meaning that they have more options. " transferable between institutions than NED - Boston area homeless advocate - Family housing • NED can apply to disabled-specific organizations outside of the BHA 3 •Seniors are geographically constrained Comments Supporting quotes • Many have had a long-standing history with their particular "I've recently moved into a new apartment and surroundings, often living at a familiarized myself with the new environment. It particular location for decades was a big hassle for me; even if BHA offered me - Familiarizing oneself to new a better apartment, I wouldn't consider it." locations can be daunting for - Lunie, BHA Elderly Applicant the elderly • The elderly often currently live with "I felt that I was in danger if I were to live higher or nearby to existing family than the second floor or in a building far away members from my hospital. " - Dulce, elderly applicant who refused unit • The elderly tend to be slower to mobilize than the NED "I had no preference for any geographic location. - After being on a waitlist for 2-5 . I was going to one hospital before, and was able years, they may need to re• to continue going there." evaluate their ability to mobilize - Michael, non-elderly disabled resident Their • Location preferences tend to be geographic neighborhood specific "Many elderly residents have to plan for the • Those currently living in nursing service planning of moving to a new location. You constraint limits can't just call them up one day and move them." their housing .homes require close coordination to - Boston area elderly advocate application successfully move out 4 •Seniors have concerns about living with NED Comments Supporting quotes • BHA's housing policy of mixing the elderly and NED populations have "My first and foremost concern is safety [There resulted in many complaints are some drug users in my building]. ..My fear is regarding substance abuse and what happens when their money runs out, what mental illness happens then?" • Elderly individuals have expressed - Marian, BHA Elderly Resident a stronger concern for safety than the NED and tend to associate the younger population with drugs and cnme "Disabledpeople have common needs and [if they • Some conflicts are not population had separate housing] could have common resources specific, but instead specific to share." personal issues, such as noise - Boston area public official for disabled level and rowdiness issues • The elderly are frightened to apply These concerns and/or live with the NED "The mix of elderly and disabled creates cause seniors environments that alarm elders and prevent the • The differences in lifestyle causes a to not submit cohesive living community" tension within the communities applications - Boston area elderly advocate 5 •Seniors need more help with the application process Comments Supporting quotes • Application support is available from advocates at shelters, but seniors disproportionately avoid shelters "Many elderly people hang up on us when we mention shelters." • Most applications are only in - Boston area public official for elderly issues English and 200/0 of Boston's elderly population know little to no English • The already "overwhelming and discouraging" process is magnified A lot of seniors don't apply to the BHA. They feel for the elderly population hopeless, saying "by the time they get to my • The long wait is a barrier to apply name, I will be dead." for the senior population - Boston area public official for elderly issues • While NED face "threshold" issues for This makes "I applied on my own. The application was pretty basic requirements (eg. accessibility), them straight forward. I think anyone in the disabled the elderly lack an understanding and population who needs it, knows about it and comparatively awareness of the application process applies for it." worse housing • The NED also have a better grasp of - William, BHA NED Resident applicants preference points 6 Exhibit C Dlsabledappllcants have gradually reduced as a percentage on waiting lists for public housing Public housing waitlist for elderly Elderly growing as proportion of total increasing public housing waitlist Elderly and disabled households on public Elderly and disabled households on waitlist housing waitlist 2000-2014 7,884 (as a % of combined total) 7,281 7,281 100% 3%13% 90% 32%34%28% 33%30,%27%26%26%26%26%27% 80% 5,579 48%46% 70% 4,913 4,661 4,558 60% 14,5%decrease in 3,087 2944 disabled share of I 700/73%74%74%74%74%73% n 2,~09 2,609 c- elderly/disabled 67% 10 ' 1,9~ 1,8141 1,995 1\ since 2000 52%54% 1,280 1387 1,520 r- 1,5771 1,219 1,222 1,279 ' 864 916 r- 1\ 10% 'c'- '~ 'r 'F 'p'fn'fn ~ 20002001 2002200320042005200620072008200920102011 201220132014 \ Elderly Disabled D Elderly Increase of over 1,500% in elderly waitlist for D Disabled public housing since 2000 Source: BHA and Section 8 Waitlist Data The waiting list alone understates the problems facing elderly people in securing housing in Boston Number of elderly people requiring ... in 2014 only 20% of elderly in need ... while supply of housing for the housing support increasing ... on the waitlist or housed* ... elderly is likely to be flat Elderly households under Elderly people with below 80% of median income in 2,647 = Number of BHA units 80% of median income in Boston 2000-2014 designated for elderly in 2007 Boston by housing status 40,000 (2014) 2,304 = Number of BHA units 35,000 designated for elderly in 2014 35,280 30,000 Loss of 343 BHA units designated for elderly 25,000 23,722 20,000 20,601 15,000 2'ffi,253 HUD 202 program no longer funded 10,000 12,753 for new capital projects, so no 5,000 increase coming in supply for elderly housing 2000 2004 2010 2014 .In public housing On public housing waitlist E! Neither *Lower fulfilment rate for disabled, but with broader range of alternative supply. Source: UMASS Aging Report 2014 2 It is very likely that housing needs for the elderly will rise sharply in the next several years Drivers of Demand Analysis in this section o Older people more likely to come o from historically disadvantaged Income groups with lower incomes in future % requiring Housing costs Detailed analysis by The University support of Massachusetts shows increasing gap between elder income and cost Cost of living of living Non-housing costs e Demand for e Higher life expectancy and large e housing support cohort size driving 2% growth per Life expectancy annum in number of elderly e While propensity to stay in Boston is not strong, this is very likely to be e Total elderly driven partially by inadequate Cohort size population housing options and may not continue with larger 60-69 cohort o Given these factors, we estimate e Propensity to that demand for elderly housing will stay in Boston increase at least 2% per annum, and 90% of new elderly/disabled demand will come from elderly people 3 o Income and cost of living 75% of elderly people in Boston do not have.