Subsidized housing includes a group of housing programs for low-income people. In many, residents pay 30 percent of their adjusted income for rent. Others charge the same rent for all units of the same size, but rents are lower than that in comparable private housing. Units may or may not be designated as elderly apartments. They are provided to eligible individuals through the local public housing authority and HUD pays a portion of the rent based on the tenant's income.
Vouchers are available to adults of all ages.
In many communities, there are waiting lists for vouchers. However, such communities are sometimes designed to attract active retirees by offering social activities, recreational facilities, and services of interest to those of retirement age. These often are not included in lists of elderly housing, since they are not formal retirement living arrangements. Usually sponsored by non-profit organizations, these residences sometimes offer such supportive services as transportation and meals through agreements with human services providers. In home-sharing, two unrelated people live together in a shared home or apartment, each having private space yet sharing common living areas.