Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced more than $9.6 million in funding Wednesday to continue the city’s Housing Upgrades to Benefit Seniors (HUBS). The program, created in 2015, provides home repairs and wraparound services to senior homeowners.
Scott said the funding for HUBS will support the health and well-being of seniors and the city.
“Every person has the right to age with dignity in the comfort and security of their own home in their neighborhood of their choosing,” Scott said. “And we all have a responsibility to make this a reality for older Baltimoreans. Or as my grandfather would say, ‘I put in my work, it's time for me to just live and let me be.’”
The $9,650,000 in funding is a joint investment by the city, which is investing $3.5 million, and various nonprofits. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is supplying $4.5 million.
Acting Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy said the program has been "extremely successful" in linking vulnerable seniors to social services.
“The HUBS collaborative is a shining example of what happens when organizations across the city come together to meet a common goal,” Kennedy said.
She added that older adults own more than a quarter of owner-occupied homes in Baltimore, and that many of those homeowners live below the poverty line.
“These are individuals that are more likely to live on fixed incomes and experience limited mobility,” she said. “And they often have substantial housing needs.”
Homeowners interested in HUBS must be 65 or older and meet income requirements, which vary depending on household size and area median income.
