On Dec. 8, 2009, Reps. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Maxine Waters (DCalif.) introduced the Together We Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 4224), which would establish a 3-year federal pilot training program to give public housing residents the opportunity to be become trained and certified as home care aides.
The newly trained aides would be assigned to elderly clients and people living with disabilities who are
Medicaid-eligible and reside in public housing, according to the terms of the bill. The bill would also provide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with $2.5 million per year to support the pilot program. Grants would be made as early as fiscal year 2010 should the bill be enacted.
AAHSA has been advocating for this bill for the past 2 years. They believe that this bill would provide a quality job training program, while at the same time promote aging in place for older adults who live in public housing. Both AAHSA's Housing Team and HCBS Team will be involved in advocating for this bill.