What makes nursing homes and assisted living facilities so expensive? All senior living housing requires some expense from the cost of maintaining property to the cost of food, materials and medical supplies to the cost of hiring a full staff. Group activities like games, musical or pet therapies, rehabilitative or educational programs and field trips also cost the facility a fair amount of money. All of these expenses combined can easily range into the tens of thousands, justifying monthly costs of $2,000 per resident. It doesn’t help that California is one of the most expensive states in the country, and it’s probably true that if you left the state you could find more affordable residential family living.

However, home is where the heart is, and many California residents have strong roots in the state, not to mention immediate and extended family members close by. Seniors who are just retiring from the workforce may find a total change in state scenery too drastic to comfortably live with. How can you find affordable senior living in Los Angeles?

The first consideration is to look specifically for low-income homes. There are centers for affordable senior living in Los Angeles, that is, units specially designed for lower-income families. They may be HUD sponsored homes, which is a project by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to help families find affordable housing for seniors. Don’t immediately believe that all of these low-income retirement homes are of low quality. While it may be true that the center cannot afford the best of amenities or the finest facilities in the state, the senior home’s staff may very considerate and trained to provide the best health care possible.

Prices of Affordable Senior Living in Los Angeles

How much does affordable senior living in Los Angeles cost these days? It largely depends on what you’re looking for from a facility, as well as the type of services provided. An assisted living home does not provide any medical attention, only non-medical supervision for residents, which may include bathing, dressing, grooming and custodial work. Assisted living homes allow a degree of independence and thus are usually less expensive than nursing homes. Monthly fees start at $1,500 a month and may be as high as $6,000 a month. There is a slight discount for double occupancy, which may be $1,000 to $2,500 per month. The cost of assisted living homes are directly affected by the regularity of services provided.

Retirement communities and continuing care facilities are figured differently in comparing affordable senior living in Los Angeles. Retirement communities usually do not provide much in the way of monitoring or custodial work and may only charge a tenant $1,000 per month. Continuing care communities offer much more individual care and usually involve lifetime accommodations that change with the health of the resident. It is not unheard of for these homes to charge $20,000 to $40,000 a month or more.

Solutions to Affordable Senior Living in Los Angeles

If you are having difficulty locating an affordable senior home, then there are least two solutions that can help your search. First, look into your Medicaid plan. Medicaid may partially cover the rent of low-income seniors. If you find a board and care or assisted living facility for about a $1,500 a month, then a partial Medicaid payment along with your own income may be just enough to handle the costs.

Some individuals, particularly those in their fifties and sixties are choosing to sell a current home and downsize to a smaller home with a one level floor plan. Again, when making these plans consider how your long term income will support a mortgage after you retire. For those fortunate enough, monies made from the previous sale of a home may make the transition easier. Again, in this case, consider how long you will be able to stay in the home. Consider current and potential health issues to determine if a move to an independent living community may be a better choice than downsizing to a smaller home. There are many considerations that can be reviewed with a care navigator.

Home ownership also comes with added responsibilities. You will need to budget for regular upkeep and home repairs. When buying a home, it is a good idea to purchase a home buyer warranty or request that the seller purchase this for you. The benefit of this is peace of mind that anything missed in inspection is covered by the policy. Normally for a deductible of $50 the policy will cover repair of electric, plumbing and heating systems. This type of policy can be renewed after the first year for an additional year.

In spite of the fact that many people believe they can save money by doing it on their own, an experienced realtor can guide you through the home buying process and actually save you money through negotiation and by representing you to ensure that the process goes smoothly. You also receive advice on making sure that you are purchasing a house in good condition in a neighborhood tat will be likely to increase in value. There are also many other small details like clear title, absence of liens or easements, and that any issues that come up in home inspection can be properly addressed.

Shared home ownership is one of the more affordable housing schemes that are part of the market today. This is where individuals purchase a portion of the house outright and then rent the rest of the house. There are usually plans that allow them to purchase additional shares of the home overtime. There are many people who also consider affordable homes as being housing that is of inferior quality. However, that is not always the case. You can find reasonable, affordable and quality homes as part of these housing schemes. The important thing is to know what to look for and to know what to ask for.

One of the biggest things to keep in mind when you are looking into affordable homes is that they are going to be shared equity or shared ownership plans. This is one of the ways that housing can be made more affordable. A minimum income usually is based on the lowest percentage of shared ownership allowed and then the monthly rent expense set at the highest amount. These income guidelines are the primary determining factor for communities and developers of affordable housing. While there are other schemes, these shared equity or shared ownerships are the most common outside of government subsidised affordable housing.

Affordable housing schemes do not have to be difficult. There are a few things that you should have in mind when looking into them. The first is that they do not have to be government housing or have to be for people who are on government assistance programmes. Second, you can find a number of housing developers and communities, which are income, restricted and can be defined as affordable housing. These communities and the developers, which build them, can be located anywhere and can range from flats to townhomes to standard suburban homes.