They’re neighborhood historians and bearers of pineapple upside-down cakes. They have the time to call 311 for broken streetlights, sweep the sidewalks, attend community meetings and keep the stray cats healthy while keeping their numbers from getting out of hand.
Anyone who has lived in their proximity, can attest to the long-term health benefits that seniors bring to a neighborhood.
“I just think they’re a vital part of the community, and it’s good to have a mixed-age community,” said Meg Elseroad, a lifelong Baltimore resident and housing counselor for the Southeast Community Development Corp.
Elseroad specializes in keeping seniors in their homes, offering the required counseling for those who wish to enter into a reverse mortgage, through which the equity they have accrued in their homes essentially substitutes for mortgage payments. If reverse-mortgage holders fail to keep up with their remaining responsibilities – homeowner’s insurance, property taxes and property upkeep – then she offers reverse-mortgage default counseling, helping them prevent the tax sale of their property.
The Southeast CDC also fosters support for seniors in other ways. In 2010, the organization adopted Communities for All Ages, a national initiative aimed at joining the youth and the aged, to improve outcomes for those growing up as well as those growing older. Along with a leadership team comprised of other local non-profits, schools, parents and church leaders, the Southeast CDC designed community-building activities to bring diverse residents together, breaking down barriers of age, race, language and economics.
This complicated-sounding mission was perhaps best exemplified in the All Ages Art Cart Derby, the above-mentioned divisions evaporating in the adrenaline rush of racing down Gough St. in a home-made, gravity-powered cart.
If the older gentleman of the block who raced carts as a boy can’t stay in his home, then he can’t pass on his knowledge (of carts and other things).
In order to keep the Southeast’s older residents participating in such events and contributing to the community, the Southeast CDC has joined a new initiative. In partnership with the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, Neighborhood Housing Services and the St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, the Southeast CDC will increase its investment in the older adults of Southeast Baltimore by:
- Helping seniors over 60 retain home ownership
- Identifying supports for seniors, including social services, financial services and monetary benefits
- Preventing the financial exploitation of seniors that would lead to loss or property, assets or income
The homeowner must apply for the credit every year. “It is not unusual to see people save $1,000 in property taxes by applying for it,” she added, noting that the Homeowner’s Property Tax Credit is a “very effective way to prevent people from facing a tax sale foreclosure.” Furthermore, over 40 percent of Maryland’s low-income seniors live in Baltimore, and 27,000 of those struggle to pay their bills every month.
“The challenge is that many of these seniors are unaware of available programs and services,” said Claudia Wison Randall, director of housing counseling and operations for the Southeast CDC. “Community development partners need to invest in strategies that help citizens retain home ownership as long as possible.”
The Southeast CDC continues to work with partner organizations to assist seniors with repairs, utility upgrades and retrofits as they age in place. The work is critical for a population that, according to the Maryland Department of Aging, is increasing by 26 percent in Baltimore City over the 20 years from 2010 to 2020.
“A lot of people may be eligible and have not applied, or maybe a spouse has died and the survivor didn’t realize that they have to apply for it every year,” said Elseroad, who will be part of the push to raise awareness of this financial benefit.
With the help of the Abell Foundation, the Southeast CDC is part of a campaign to raise awareness of the Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit Program. The program allows households with a total income lower than $60,000 to receive tax credits for property taxes that exceed a specified percentage of that income.