Conference on Housing for Rural Seniors and Veterans to Meet in Council Bluffs
Contact: Dan Stern, dan@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600 ext. 137
Conference on Housing for Rural Seniors and Veterans to Meet in Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs, IA, August 26, 2013 – The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) is convening housing developers and supporters from across the country on August 28-29 in Council Bluffs for a conference on Housing Seniors and Veterans in Rural America: Preservation, Development, and Services.
Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) is the opening speaker for the conference. Congressman Latham is chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the US Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Transportation.”
Meeting at the Mid-America Center, the conference will focus on successful models for helping rural seniors and veterans with housing needs. By the year 2050, the elderly population of the United States will increase by almost 50 million people, putting pressure on housing. While rural America accounts for one fifth of the population, over 25 percent of seniors live in rural communities. Additionally, nearly 40 percent of veterans enrolled in the VA health system live in rural areas. Veterans have served the nation but may face housing challenges on returning home.
Moises Loza, HAC’s Executive Director, said, “Veterans and the elderly are disproportionately rural, and often have similar needs for housing and services that can be challenging for rural communities. HAC is proud to work with organizations from across America to ensure that veterans, seniors, and others in rural areas have access to decent, safe, and affordable housing.”
The conference is co-sponsored by Leading Age. Attendees are expected from 13 states, including from as far away as Oregon and Vermont. Other speakers include representatives of the Iowa Dept. of Aging, the Iowa Finance Authority, HUD, USDA, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, HAC, and local organizations.
About the Housing Assistance Council
HAC, founded in 1971, is a nonprofit corporation that supports the development of rural low-income housing nationwide. HAC provides technical housing services, loans from a revolving fund, housing program and policy assistance, research and demonstration projects, and training and information services. HAC is an equal opportunity lender.
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