BOSTON - Monday, August 25, 2025 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced $200,000 in funding for the SHORE-UP pilot (“Stabilizing Housing for Our Resident Elders Under Pressure”), a program designed to keep vulnerable older adults in their homes until they can access permanent homes that they can afford. As Boston’s population ages and more seniors become vulnerable to eviction and displacement, the City will use the SHORE-UP pilot to explore effective ways to enable eligible older adults from Boston to remain in their homes for long enough to access subsidized housing off existing affordable waiting lists.
“Our older residents have built Boston over their decades of leadership and neighborhood activism, and they continue to anchor our communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We must continue to find every resource to support our seniors staying and thriving across Boston. This program will help keep older adults in our neighborhoods, close to their friends and families, with a pathway to long-term affordable housing.”
Many of Boston’s older adults are on extremely low fixed incomes, with 21 percent of Boston residents age 65 or older living below the poverty level. Among Boston households led by these seniors, more than a third (35 percent) are severely cost-burdened: approximately 10,000 senior households spend more than half their modest income on housing. At the same time, waiting lists for subsidized affordable housing are long, and residents are often not admitted on timelines that match their immediate housing crises. More than 11,000 seniors are currently housed across BHA housing opportunities, but approximately 10,000 seniors 65 and older are on the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) waitlist today. BHA funds roughly 7,000 units of housing designated for the elderly and disabled community, between public housing (about 3,000 units) and buildings supported by project-based vouchers (about 4,000 units).
The SHORE-UP pilot would allow eligible older adults from Boston who are facing eviction or displacement to temporarily remain in their homes, by helping to bridge the gap between their incomes and their rents, while they await approval for long-term subsidized housing. Low-income older adults participating in this bridge subsidy program would pay up to 30% of their income towards rent, mortgage, or other housing costs, with the bridge subsidy making up the difference. This approach will prevent the spiral of negative physical and mental health impacts that often accompany an older adult being plunged into homelessness even for a short period. The City of Boston, including the Mayor’s Office of Housing, Age Strong, and the Planning Department, along with the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), will work in collaboration with Mass Senior Action Council, the Mass Coalition for the Homeless, individual Boston seniors, and other non-profit organizations to shape the pilot program. Having the voices of older residents at the table, contributing ideas and sharing lived experiences will help build a program model that best meets the needs of Boston’s older residents.
"We are excited to work with Mayor Wu and her team on developing a new pilot subsidy program to help stabilize senior renters who are at risk of displacement and homelessness while they wait for long-term affordable housing. This will be a valuable new tool to ensure that those who have contributed to our city’s success are not left out of its future," said Linda Freeman, Mass Senior Action Council Boston Chapter. "For many years, we have seen long-time residents, now senior friends and neighbors, being forced out of their homes after a new owner doubles the rent or a spouse passes away, leaving only one income. We appreciate the Wu Administration for making it a priority to ensure seniors who helped build this city are not pushed out of their homes and community."
The City’s recently released anti-displacement plan proposes a package of new and enhanced tools and resources to help Boston’s older adults with housing stability. These tools include new financial planning services for older adults living on a fixed income, the continued support of legislation to provide tax relief for older adult homeowners and support for S.475/H.4015, legislation that would establish a statewide short-term housing bridge program for lower income older adults who are experiencing housing instability or homelessness. While continuing to advocate for expanded state funding, making a City investment now allows Boston to develop and begin to implement a program model this year.
This work is urgent, because as area housing costs continue to rise, older adults on fixed incomes are having an increasingly difficult time affording their market rate apartments. In response, Boston’s older adults are applying to live in income-restricted senior housing, including housing developments owned and managed by the BHA. While the BHA and other operators have thousands of units dedicated to housing low-income seniors, the wait lists for this housing are long. The SHORE-UP pilot will identify older adults who are at risk of eviction or displacement but also close enough to receiving permanently affordable housing that a bridge subsidy can effectively protect them from the many negative health and personal impacts of becoming homeless while they wait.
"We're excited to be a part of creating this new tool to help our older residents," said Emily K. Shea, Age Strong Commissioner. "Many of our older adults live on fixed incomes and struggle with economic insecurity. Every bit of assistance, especially additional housing support, helps our older residents age better in Boston."
“The most difficult part of our work is the gap between how many people on our waitlist need an affordable home and how many we can serve,” said BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok. “We are thrilled to partner with the Mayor, city departments, and advocates for our most vulnerable seniors to identify situations where a small bridge subsidy would make all the difference for older adults until we can welcome them into our homes.”
“While we continue to build additional affordable homes for our older adults, the SHORE-UP program will ensure that many of our residents do not become homeless while they wait to be offered a home that they can afford,” said Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing. “The Mayor’s Office of Housing looks forward to working with our older adults, dedicated non-profits, Age Strong and the BHA to design and implement this important pilot”.
At the same time, Mayor Wu is also pushing to make more affordable homes for seniors available. In response to a shortage of affordable homes for Boston’s older adults, the Wu Administration has made significant efforts to increase the supply of income restricted homes for this population. Since taking office, 439 new income-restricted units targeted at older adults have been completed and 315 are currently in construction. These new developments, located in neighborhoods across Boston, will provide affordable housing solutions while allowing older Bostonians to remain connected to the communities they have contributed to over many years. These developments include:
Projects Completed or Nearing Completion: - 74 homes at the William Barton Rogers Middle School/The Pryde
- 43 homes at 9 Leyland Street
- 50 homes at Bartlett Place, Building D
- 23 homes at 41 North Margin St
- 42 homes at Grace Apartments
- 10 homes at BHA Amory Street, Phase 1
- 55 homes at BHA Old Colony, Phase 3C (New homes)
- 78 homes at BHA J.J. Carroll (New homes)
- 64 homes at BHA J.J. Carroll (Replacement homes)
Projects In Construction: - 39 homes at 3371 Washington St Elderly
- 63 homes at 1201 River Street
- 30 homes at 150 River St
- 48 homes at Cheney St Apartments
- 99 homes at 900 Morrissey Blvd
- 36 homes at Hamilton at Mt. Everett
Boston is working to build a city that is a home to everyone - where everyone can both live well and also age well. Since 2022 Mayor Wu and the Age Strong Commission have: - Launched regular benefits access fairs in all neighborhoods of Boston to help older people maximize income and connect to all the programs and benefits for which they are eligible.
- Tripled the amount of ongoing programming provided for older adults across Boston, including adding an extra day of programming in West Roxbury, expanding programming sites across Boston neighborhoods, and opening the bilingual East Boston Senior Center.
- Launched the Expanding Engagement grant opportunity to increase social connection and reduce isolation awarding over $1.8 million to over 70 partner organizations to expand social opportunities for older people.
- Created a Behavioral Health Strategic Plan for older adults and launched the Behavioral Health grant opportunity, awarding over $1.5 million to 15 partner organizations across Boston to expand access to critical behavioral health services for underserved older adults.
- Expanded the Older Adult Property Tax Work Off Program which allows eligible older adults to work off up to $2000 in property taxes by volunteering in a city department.
About the Age Strong Commission For us, strength comes in many forms. Strength of community. Of cultures. Of experiences. Strength to embrace new chapters and opportunities. We believe that Bostonians who are 55+ make our city strong and vibrant. Our mission is to enhance older adults’ lives with meaningful programs, resources, and connections so we can live and age strong in Boston together. For more than 50 years as a Commission, Council on Aging, and Area Agency on Aging, Age Strong provides programs and services to Boston’s older adults, including information and referrals, help with housing, nutrition, health insurance, transportation, volunteer opportunities, events/activities, and more. Age Strong publishes Boston Seniority Magazine, a free monthly publication distributed to over 350 locations. www.boston.gov/agestrong.
About the Boston Housing Authority As the largest housing provider in Boston, we foster sustainable communities by providing quality affordable housing through public housing and rental assistance programs to more than 62,000 residents. Publicly-funded housing programs are a contemporary and humane solution to the housing challenges our city faces. BHA’s programs bring stability, opportunity, and peace of mind to thousands of low and moderate-income families and individuals across Boston, and to the city as a whole. We empower vital communities to improve quality of life, encourage self-sufficiency, and create economic opportunities. Our residents are the lifeblood of our community – our neighbors, friends, and coworkers. For many, BHA is the difference between home and homelessness. www.bostonhousing.org
About the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) The Mayor’s Office of Housing is responsible for housing people experiencing homelessness, creating and preserving affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can obtain, maintain, and remain in safe, stable housing. The department develops and implements the City of Boston’s housing creation and homelessness prevention plans and collaborates with local and national partners to find new solutions and build more housing affordable to all, particularly those with lower incomes. For more information, please visit the MOH website. | 
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