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Habitat for Humanity updates seniors’ homes

Posted on: January 16, 2025

By OLIVER MACK

photo showing elderly woman using safety bar in bathroom
A new program from Habitat for Humanity upgrades the homes of senior citizens in College Park who want to age in place.
PHOTO CREDIT Adobe Stock photo

Senior citizens who live in College Park can have wheelchair ramps and grab bars installed in their homes for free, thanks to a Habitat for Humanity program that aims to make it easier for older residents with limited incomes to continue living at home as they age.

The program, College Park Aging in Place, is part of a nationwide effort by Habitat for Humanity that also offers repairs to roofs, drywall and porches, and arranges for electrical work and water heater replacements, with an emphasis on accessibility and weatherization.

“It’s the home repair and improvements that we can help seniors with that will allow them to stay in their homes as they age,” Janeen Miller, the program lead for Age Friendly College Park, said.

Age Friendly College Park is a separate program that more broadly focuses on helping seniors maintain their independence by reducing social isolation and offering essential services like rides to doctor appointments and grocery stores, Miller said, noting that effort is 10 years old.

College Park Aging in Place began in 2024 and so far has upgraded half a dozen homes in the city. The renovations were paid for by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the federal government.

Chyna Diaz, director of home preservation for Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, said she expects the program to work on at least 10 homes a year and hopes the College Park City Council will take over the funding once ARPA funds dry up by the end of next year.

Miller said the initiative is a key component of College Park’s efforts to better support its senior citizens.

“We would like to be a destination for seniors that are retiring and they’re looking for a place to age,” Miller said. “We think College Park has a lot to offer with the proximity to so many rich cultural resources.”

The city’s age-friendly initiative began with a 2014 city council resolution that created a task force that recruits volunteers to help senior residents and is working to achieve the Age Friendly States and Communities designation from AARP.

“A group of residents identified a list of priorities and actions the city council could take to assist seniors with staying in College Park and in their homes as they age,” Miller said.

The group initiated the partnership with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland to address the specific needs of older adults and their homes, Miller said.

The Habitat effort targets residents 62 and older, prioritizing those who have lived in College Park for 30 or more years, according to Diaz

Diaz said program coordinators plan to complete 200 projects a year over the next five years throughout Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

Miller, who worked as College Park’s city clerk for 18 years until she retired last year, said Age Friendly College Park will work with the city and Prince George’s County to develop more affordable housing options for seniors looking to downsize.

Diaz said College Park’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity could be a model for other cities looking to upgrade homes and help seniors stay in them.

“When local governments or government agencies invest in their communities, there is a true impact,” she said. “There is a real impact.”

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