Senior Living Apartments in New York City

To pay for senior apartments, many seniors use income sources such as savings, Social Security benefits, pensions, and investment returns. In addition to these options, some seniors pay their senior living rental fees through the following private pay methods:

• Selling a house. If you’re making a permanent move to a senior apartment complex, consider selling your family home. It can help take away the burden of a mortgage and pay off rental fees.
• Reverse mortgage. If you are not making a permanent move or don’t want to sell your family home, consider a reverse mortgage. This allows you to borrow money from the equity you’ve built up in your home.
• Health savings accounts. If you have a high deductible health insurance plan, you can sign up for a health savings account. This can help cover medical care costs.
• Life insurance. Depending on the type of life insurance policy you carry, you may be able to sell or surrender it to fund your senior living expenses.

Veterans and surviving spouses in New York and New Jersey may qualify for a pension or benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These benefits or pensions can help pay for costs of living or in-home health care costs.

Veterans Pension

A Veterans Pension is a monthly payment for wartime veterans or their surviving spouses that can be used toward monthly rent in a senior apartment. To qualify, you must meet low income standards established by Congress and meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Be 65 or older
• Have a permanent/total disability
• Receive Social Security Disability Insurance
• Receive Supplemental Security Income

VA Aid and Attendance

VA Aid and Attendance benefit is a monthly payment in addition to the pension that can help cover part of senior apartment costs. You must already be receiving the Veterans Pension, be enrolled in VA health care, and have a VA-recognized disability to receive this benefit. Additionally, you must fall under at least one of the following categories:

• Need assistance with some activities of daily living
• Have an untreated illness that results in spending a majority of the day in bed
• Have very limited eyesight
• Already reside in a nursing home

Housebound allowance

The VA Housebound allowance is a benefit that does not cover rental costs, but it can be used toward certain in-home skilled nursing services. This must be used in addition to the Veterans Pension, but cannot be received at the same time as the Aid and Attendance benefit. To qualify, a veteran must have a disability that is 100% disabling that leaves them housebound.

Find a local veteran benefit advocate

To learn more about income support opportunities for veteran seniors in New York City, contact the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) or visit the online services at VetConnectNYC.

Local veteran services officers (VSO) can help you understand what benefits you qualify for and how to apply. VSOs can be found at your local VA office. Additional advocacy can be found through the nonprofit organizations Disabled American Veterans or Veterans of Foreign Wars. These groups have service officers who provide veterans assistance and advocacy with disability claims. There are chapters of both located throughout New Jersey and New York. New York also offers local offices for additional veteran organizations, including the American Legion and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

While New York State Medicaid and New Jersey Medicaid do not cover rental costs for senior apartments, they do cover medically necessary in-home health care services.

New York Medicaid for senior apartments

New York State Medicaid can help cover multiple medical services, including home care. However, whether you are eligible can depend on various factors, including the following:

• Age
• Disability
• Income
• Household/Family Size
• Residence{{citation:3, 4}}

In addition to these factors, you may be eligible for NY State Medicaid if you are eligible for certain programs:

• Medicaid Savings Program
• COBRA
• AIDS Health Insurance Program
• Medicaid Buy-in Program for Working People with Disabilities^[03]

Additional requirements can be found on the NY Medicaid — How to Apply web page. The way you apply for NY State Medicaid changes depending on your eligibility requirements, so contacting your local Department of Social Services or NY State of Health can help you determine where and how to apply.

To help cover in-home care costs, you may also be eligible for Medicaid-related programs in New York, such as these:

• Long Term Home Health Care Program: This program is for adults who qualify for nursing home care but decide to remain in their home with in-home care services.
• Programs of All-Inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE): This program is for seniors ages 55+ who qualify for nursing home care. PACE helps them arrange long-term care services in their home.
• Managed Long-Term Care Program: This program helps cover costs for in home services, including, but not limited to, home health aides and home attendant services.

Additionally, seniors aged 60+ can contact the NYC Department for the Aging, which can help you find in-home care through their partnership with case management agencies.

New Jersey Medicaid for senior apartments

New Jersey seniors aged 65 and older, and adults with a disability, may qualify for the NJ FamilyCare Aged, Blind, Disabled (ABD) Program. However, to qualify, you must not be receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and meet the income SSI standards, as well as undergo the following:

• Pass a financial evaluation from the local County Welfare Agency
• Pass a clinical evaluation from the Division of Aging Services

ABD covers long-term services and support, which can be provided within your home. These care services may include the following:

• Home-delivered meals
• Care management
• Personal care services^[05]

Medicaid benefits are difficult to understand and apply for, which is why every borough has Certified Application Counselors (CAC) available in the local Medicaid office. CACs can help assist you in the application process. Additionally, contacting your local department of aging or long-term care ombudsman can help you understand your rights as a senior. The NYC Department of Aging has an informational referral service called Aging Connect to help you find programs and services near you.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for seniors aged 65 and older and people with permanent disabilities or certain diseases. Medicare does not cover rental costs for senior apartments. However, Medicare Plan A can be used towards certain medically necessary short-term in-home care services, including the examples below:

• Part-time home health aide care
• Part-time skilled nursing care
• Physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy
• Medical equipment
• Medical supplies
• Medical social services
• Injectable osteoporosis drugs for women^[06]

If you’re in need of home health care services, New York Department of Health helps seniors find this care through their partnership with the home health agency, Carina. In addition to health insurance, New York and New Jersey have multiple financial assistance programs for low-income seniors.

New York Medicare financial assistance programs

New York residents may qualify for additional financial assistance for health care services through the following programs:

• Medicare Savings Program (MSP) helps you with Medicare premium costs. In addition to MSP, you are automatically enrolled in Extra Help, a federal program that helps with prescription drug costs.
• Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program helps seniors aged 65 and over to receive help with fees from their Medicare Plan D benefits.

New Jersey Medicare financial assistance programs

• Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled (PAAD) helps seniors and adults with a disability pay for prescription drugs.
• Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program is a prescription drug program for seniors and adults who do not meet the income requirements for PAAD. Additionally, this program has a different copay method than PAAD.
• NJ Save helps low-income or disabled seniors with Medicare premium costs, prescription costs, and other medical costs.

A local counselor through the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can help assist you with applying for these Medicare benefit programs. Additionally, you can contact the local Social Security office for more information on what programs and benefits you qualify for. For additional assistance, contact the NYC Department for the Aging, which offers free Medicare orientation sessions. Your local long-term care ombudsman can also help advocate for seniors’ health care rights, as well as help you understand the local public health care options available to you.

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, formerly Section 8

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, previously known as Section 8, is a program through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) that helps low-income seniors with rent assistance for their apartment. However, you should first ask your prospective senior apartment landlord whether they accept these vouchers and if the building meets the program requirements.

New York City and New Jersey Home Sharing

New York Home Sharing: The New York Foundation for Senior Citizens offers a free program called Home Sharing. This program helps match New York City seniors aged 60 or older to other adults interested in shared housing. After matching, they will share a living space to help alleviate financial burdens. Additionally, seniors age 55+ can apply to be hosts who will share their living space with disabled adults (i.e., home sharing guests).

New Jersey Home Sharing: The nonprofit agency HomeSharing, Inc. offers an affordable housing option in New Jersey. The agency matches providers (those providing housing) with seekers (those looking for housing). While this service is available to all age groups, providers are typically seniors with a fixed income that need additional help with a mortgage. By taking in a “seeker,” seniors can remain in their home while meeting all their mortgage payments.

New Jersey Congregate Housing Services Program (CHSP)

New Jersey Congregate Housing Services Program (CHSP) is a state-funded program that helps low-income seniors and adults with disabilities receive supportive services. Some of those supportive services can include the following:

• At least one meal daily
• Homemaker services like housekeeping and laundry
• Shopping assistance
• Meal preparation
• Personal care (i.e., assistance with activities of daily living)

CHSP is only available to those who live in a subsidized housing facility that is contracted with the state.

Social Security benefits

In addition to local assistance programs, many seniors pay for rental costs with their Social Security benefits:

• Social Security in retirement: After an adult aged 62 and older is no longer working or reduces their working hours, they may qualify for a monthly check through Social Security Retirement benefits. To be eligible, you must have work credits where Social Security taxes were paid for 10 or more years.

• Social Security Disability Insurance (or SSDI): Adults that have worked recently, have work credits, and have an eligible disability may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). An eligible disability must be permanent, meaning you must have had it for at least one year, or expect it to result in death. Social Security determines whether you have enough work credits based off of yearly wages and income. Once you retire, this may roll over into your Social Security retirement.
• Supplemental Security Income (or SSI): Seniors aged 65 and older, or adults with a disability, with limited income and few work credits may qualify for Supplemental Security Income.
• Social Security survivors pension: Widows and widowers may qualify for Social Security survivors pension, which offers benefits based off of the deceased’s work credits. Seniors aged 60 and over may be eligible to receive monthly payments, however some may only receive a one-time payment.

Find help with your local public assistance benefits by contacting your local Social Security office and HUD offices.