LEWISTON — The Lewiston Housing Authority will receive $1.25 million as part of a federal program aimed at helping low-income seniors remain in their homes.

The award, announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will provide money for 150 homeowners and renters across Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec and Oxford counties to make “safety-oriented” repairs to their homes.

According to a news release from HUD, the repairs will “reduce older adults’ risk of falling, improve general safety, increase accessibility, and improve their functional abilities in their home.”

Lewiston Housing is one of three organizations across the country receiving a total of $3.7 million from HUD’s Older Adults Home Modification Program, the second round to be released this year.

Examples of home modifications include installation of grab bars, railings, and lever-handle doorknobs and faucets, as well as equipment such as temporary ramps, tub/shower transfer benches and other bathroom safety modifications.

According to the Older Adults Home Modification Program website, the program relies on the expertise of licensed occupational therapists to ensure that home modifications “address the client’s specific goals and needs and promote their full participation in daily life activities.”

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Chris Kilmurry, executive director of Lewiston Housing, said Thursday that the housing authority is “extremely grateful and excited” to receive the HUD funding.

“Maine is both the oldest state in the nation and one of the most severely stressed by the lack of overall housing, with an anticipated deficit of 80,000-plus units by 2030,” he said. “Helping keep our seniors in their homes through simple modifications coupled with (occupational therapy) and nursing services will both relieve an already over-stressed housing market as well as provide peace of mind for seniors by allowing them to stay safely in their homes.”

Kilmurry said the money will allow Lewiston Housing to expand its program through a partnership with Andwell Health Partners, which uses a model that provides “client-directed, home-based intervention to increase mobility, function, and capacity to age in the community.”

The grants are awarded to eligible low-income senior homeowners and renters who are at least 62 years old for work within their primary residence.

“Today, we are furthering our commitment to improving the quality of life for older adults of limited means,” HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman said. “These grants provide a critical resource to communities to make low-cost, high-impact home repairs tailored to the needs of the residents.”

In Lewiston, the need for more senior housing has been a recurring topic for many years, especially after the Maine housing market ballooned during the pandemic. While the city has some senior housing projects in the works, waiting lists for senior public housing remain long.

“Sometimes all that is needed is an outside ramp or the addition of bathroom grab bars for our seniors to stay in their homes safely and comfortably,” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said Thursday. “With the current housing crunch, this grant will be put to good use.”

The other grants are going to the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, which will receive $1.2 million, and Community Action Pioneer Valley in Greenfield, Massachusetts, which will receive $1.25 million.

“There is a strong connection between health and housing,” Matthew Ammon, director of HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, said. “It’s important that our homes stay safe, healthy, and easy to live in, and this program does that, empowering older adults to age in place with dignity.”

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