Ask about . . . Age Eligibility for Senior Housing
Senior housing developments specify the minimum eligible age for moving into the development and for being placed on the waiting list. The eligible entry age differs from one development to another.
Under certain circumstances, a development may have exceptions to its age-eligibility rules. You must ask for details.
Subsidized housing:
- The eligible entry age for subsidized housing is determined by the government program under which the development's construction was financed.
- For example, housing built with funding from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the Federal Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office (RD) will typically specify that the head of household must be aged 62 or older.
- Housing built with funding from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal or the State Housing Finance Agency will often specify that the head of household must be aged 55 or older.
- Under certain conditions, the government agency that has funded the construction or operation of a subsidized development will give that development a waiver from the agency's age-eligibility rules. For example, a development with an eligible entry age of 62 may receive permission to also accept a certain number of people aged 55 to 61.
Private pay housing:
- Private-pay housing is not built with government funding. To advertise themselves as "senior housing," private-pay housing owners must follow the guidelines of the 1988 Amendments to the Fair Housing Act, which state that either:
- All tenants in the developments must be aged 62 or older, or
- At least 80 percent of the units are occupied by at least one person who is aged 55 or older, with up to 20 percent being under age 55.
Some subsidized senior housing developments built before 1990 will also accept non-elderly tenants who have disabilities. Some will specify the types of disabilities that are accepted.
Adult Homes are a housing option that is licensed by the New York State Health Department. They provide private or shared rooms, meals, housekeeping assistance, transportation, and may provide some assistance with personal care. Adults aged 18 and over are eligible to reside in Adult Homes; however, some have chosen to limit residency to only senior citizens and each specifies its own eligibility age.
Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) are age-integrated developments that accept tenants and families of all ages. Often, a significant proportion of the tenants in a NORC have aged in place and become elderly. While such a NORC may look like senior housing, people of all ages continue to be eligible for residency.
For any senior housing development, you should ask whether the age-eligibility rule applies to all members of the family or just the head of household. For some developments, a spouse can be younger.
Sometimes adult children with disabilities live with their parents. You should ask whether an adult child with a disability is eligible to live in the development if the head of household meets the eligible age.
Sometimes a senior citizen has legal custody or informal custody of a young grandchild. You should ask whether your grandchild is eligible to live with you in the development if the head of household meets the eligible age.
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