Distressed Conditions in Developments for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities and Strategies Used for Improvement

This report is a snapshot of conditions at 3,537 public housing developments. 76 are suspected of being severely distressed in ways that impact elderly or disabled residents. The report was conducted as a follow up to the Congressional Hope IV program to ameliorate substandard living conditions for elderly and disabled individuals in public housing developments. The GAO discovered that 2% (76) developments are potentially severely distressed due to an aging or poorly maintained facility, lack of air conditioning, lack of wheelchair accessible spaces, lack of access to social services such as transportation or meal preparation or delivery, neighborhood crime or vandalism, low income neighborhoods. Recommendations for amelioration include: 

• Capital investment in infrastructure to renovate or demolish and rebuild facilities
• Strategies to improve access to social services include converting developments into assisted living facilities
• Designating developments "elderly only"
• Greater coordination with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide services