- Grants tailored to the elderly to cover home renovation projects and other activities are available. For example, the Very Low-Income Housing Repair Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, awards grants to homeowners 62 years of age and older to remove health and safety hazards from their homes. Grants also cover home repairs after the removal of the hazards. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, sponsors a program for public housing authorities to make necessary modifications to their housing units for their elderly tenants. The Supportive Housing for the Elderly program also subsidize rental payments, which covers the difference between the housing units operating expenses and the elderly tenants' rent payments; this is generally 30 percent of their incomes.
- Some elderly individuals have a difficult time moving around or cannot drive. Grants assist public transportation authorities and other nonprofit organizations meet their needs. The Capital Assistance Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, funds other transportation options for the elderly to places where public transportation isn't available. Facility and bus modifications to accommodate the elderly are funded by Federal Transit grants also sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Hospitals, community centers, public parks and other facilities used for community and public purposes receive grants to renovate or expand doors, build wheelchair ramps, sliding doors and other amenities to assist the elderly. The HUD awards Community Development Block Grants to cities and counties with over 50,000 and 200,000 residents, respectively, to cover capital projects. The USDA, on the other hand, funds the Community Facilities Grant Program, which award funds to districts, towns and counties with less than 20,000 residents to cover project costs.
- Grants are also available to help the elderly receive the nutrition needed on a weekly basis. The Special Program for the Aging, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, award grants to state government agencies to provide meals to the elderly in congregate settings or have them delivered to homes. The Community Services Block Grant program, also sponsored by the HHS, funds food operations run by community and neighborhood centers serving the poor and elderly.
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