Page 18 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 1, 2025 Subscribe to the Advocate Online! www.advocatenews.net Savvy Senior by Jim Miller How to Find Affordable Senior Housing Near You Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any resources that you know of that can help seniors locate affordable housings? My sister, who’s 65 years old, needs to find a different place to live but has very little money. What can you tell me? Searching Sister Dear Searching, Finding affordable senior housing options can be challenging depending on where your sister lives. Senior apartments for some retirees are a good option, and you’ll be happy to know that there are several government programs that can help financially. Here are some tips that can help your sister locate an apartment that fits her budget and living preferences. Start with HUD The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a variety of resources that can help lower-income people, like your sister, locate and pay for housing. Here are three different programs to look into. • Privately owned subsidized apartments: HUD helps many apartment owners across the country offer reduced rents to low-income tenants. To search for subsidized apartments in your area, visit Resources.hud. gov. • Housing choice voucher program: This program allows low-income families, elderly, and disabled people afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. The housing subsidy would be paid to the landlord each month. Your sister would then pay the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. To learn more or apply, contact your local public housing agency (see HUD.gov/contactus/public-housing-contacts for contact information), or call 800-955-2232. • Public housing: This low-income housing option comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high rise apartments for elderly families. Your local public housing agency is again the resource for locating public housing in your area. If you need more help or housing advice, contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you. See HUD4. my.site.com/housingcounseling or call 800-569-4287 for contact information. How to Choose If you or your sister find several apartment choices that fall within her budget, she should consider what’s important to her. She may want housing that’s close to family, religious organizations, senior centers, or places she visits regularly, like grocery stores, parks or gyms. Or, if she has a disabling condition, it may be especially critical for her to find a living space that has easy access to important services like senior transportation and health care centers. In your housing search, you may also come across some red flags that indicate a retirement community wouldn’t be a good fit for your sister. Keep an eye out for extra fees that may be applied to everyday items or perks you normally wouldn’t think about like laundry service, parking or pets. You should also make sure the apartment is in good condition and then scout out the neighborhood. Ask yourself if the community is clean and well maintained and if there is any debris or messy landscaping. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, follow up with questions before your sister signs a rental contract. Other Programs In addition to affordable housing, there are a number of other financial assistance programs that may help your sister pay for things like food, medications, health care, utilities and more. To locate these programs, check her eligibility and apply, visit BenefitsCheckUp.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 1. Aug. 1-7 is International Clown Week; that started when clowns visited D.C. to create an official National Clown Week, which what president proclaimed in 1970? 2. What vaudevillian started out as a trick roper nicknamed the Cherokee Kid for Texas Jack’s Wild West Show & Circus? 3. On Aug. 1, 1900, the first of what guide was created to boost road travel and tire sales? 4. What is The Super Museum in Metropolis, Illinois, about? 5. On Aug. 2, 1905, actress Myrna Loy was born; she starred in what 1934 mystery-comedy film that had five sequels? 6. What car had the advertising slogan “Think small”? 7. August 3 is National Watermelon Day; America’s first cookbook (1796) has a recipe for what using watermelon? 8. How are Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan similar? 9. What city has the only continuously running (since 1942) World War II Victory Gardens? 10. On Aug. 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born; what was his wife’s name, which is also the name of BB King’s guitar? 11. What is known as “ruffles and flourishes”? 12. What burger chain popularized “carry-out” in 1927 with a “buy ’em by the sack” offer? 13. On Aug. 5, 1735, New-York Weekly Journal publisher John Peter Zenger was acquitted of what in the first major freedom of the press victory in the colonies? 14. What monument was built by an Indian emperor to immortalize a wife? 15. What is the laryngeal prominence more commonly called? 16. How are Copp’s Hill, Granary and King’s Chapel similar? 17. On Aug. 6, 1991, the first website was shared; what was it about? 18. What river runs between the Black Sea and the Black Forest? 19. Which U.S. president had the longest beard: John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes or Abe Lincoln? 20. On Aug. 7, 2007, who broke Hank Aaron’s career home run record? ANSWERS 1. Richard Nixon 2. Will Rogers 3. Michelin Guide of hotels and restaurants 4. Superman (Metropolis is the name of Superman’s fictional home city in DC comics.) 5. “The Thin Man” 6. Volkswagen 7. Watermelon rind pickles (“American Cookery” by Amelia Simmons) 8. They have all been martial arts film stars. 9. Boston (the Fenway Victory Gardens) 10. Lucille 11. Fanfare (preliminary music) at ceremonies; drums play ruffles and bugles play flourishes. 12. White Castle (hamburgers) 13. Libel against colonial governor William Cosby 14. Taj Mahal 15. Adam’s apple 16. They are old Burying Grounds in Boston. 17. The World Wide Web Project (instructions for using it) 18. The Danube 19. Rutherford B. Hayes (John Quincy Adams had long sideburns.) 20. Barry Bonds (his 756th home run)
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