In Emporia, Virginia, Linda Morgan resides at Trinity Woods, a subsidized senior living community where the central air conditioning system broke down three years ago. The lack of proper cooling has forced Morgan to resort to using a series of fans and portable coolers to manage the oppressive summer heat. Despite these challenges, Morgan cherishes her home in the town she grew up in, near the North Carolina border.
Trinity Woods’ community room faces severe cooling issues as well. Resident Deanna Moore described the past summer as unbearably hot, making it impossible to hold regular bingo nights. The lack of air conditioning poses a significant hardship for many residents, particularly those with respiratory issues. This situation concerns Morgan, who is a retired nurse, indicating that living without adequate climate control is distressing for the senior population.
A year ago, Trinity Woods received a $5.4 million grant for improvements, including a new heating and cooling system, as part of a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative aimed at upgrading affordable housing nationwide. However, this program, which was originally established under the Biden administration to enhance energy efficiency, faced termination by a team led by Elon Musk within HUD, as stated in an internal email obtained by NPR.
HUD communicated that the program is simply undergoing a review and that their focus would shift from solar panels to ensuring resources for rural, tribal, and urban communities. This sudden change has disrupted plans for facilities like Trinity Woods, which now struggle to secure alternative funding to proceed with necessary upgrades.
Reverend Richard Bridgford, head of Norfolk Urban Outreach Ministry and president of the board for Trinity Woods, has long advocated for repairs and upgrades to the facility’s aging infrastructure. Due to financial constraints, affordable housing providers, such as Trinity Woods, are unable to simply raise rents or generate equity to cover infrastructure overhauls.
Originally, the Inflation Reduction Act’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program was intended to assist affordable housing operators in updating outdated infrastructure. The program had allocated funds to projects in 42 states, with the potential to improve living conditions for over 30,000 residents.
Julia Gordon, former HUD Assistant Secretary for Housing, emphasized the program’s importance in efficiently using government funds to support affordable housing providers. Unfortunately, only 22 properties finalized their financing before the funding freeze, leaving many projects unrealized.
Linda Couch, senior vice president at LeadingAge, noted the significance of preserving existing affordable housing. The scarcity of available units—evidenced by substantial waiting lists—underscores the need for maintaining subsidized housing to accommodate vulnerable populations, including seniors.
Advocates for affordable housing remain concerned about potential staffing reductions at HUD, which could impede the administration of housing programs. Bridgford, along with consultants and contractors, continues to seek alternative funding sources to provide much-needed relief for residents. Although hopes for a new, modern HVAC system have dimmed, efforts persist to offer some relief and improved living conditions at Trinity Woods.
