National Church Residences, in partnership with LeadingAge, has established the Hurricane Services for Seniors hotline: (844) 259-HS4S / (844) 259-4747.
This hotline is open to all seniors and their families in hurricane-impacted regions to help coordinate housing and services. The hotline is currently manned from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, Mondays through Fridays.
“Our country has experienced a very challenging situation: two Category 4 hurricanes a week apart. National Church Residences has been relatively fortunate in the scope of the problems from this. While the hurricanes have impacted 29 of our properties, only one was so heavily damaged that it is not inhabitable,” said Michelle Norris, executive vice president at National Church Residences, a leading nonprofit provider of affordable housing for seniors and others.
Columbus, Ohio-based National Church Residences feels called to use its unique set of resources and infrastructure to help seniors impacted by the storms across the regions. The organization has the capacity to serve as a clearinghouse, matching needs for housing and services with the seniors affected, explained organization leaders.
In addition to providing the hotline, National Church Residences is seeking relief from state and federal regulations that might hamper the speed of the recovery effort. Working with LeadingAge and Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, the organization is advocating for federal funds to rebuild the devastated areas, including funds for senior housing. A fund has been established to help the organization’s seniors who were displaced or sustained property damage in the storms. Click here for donation information.
“We thank LeadingAge, the association for not-for-profit senior service providers, for their financial support of this effort. We will continue to evaluate the situation and needs of seniors and how we can support them. Our organization seeks to advance better living for all seniors, enabling them to remain home for life,” Norris said.
