The Legislature finds and declares that: the housing requirements of the growing population of senior citizens are significantly different from the rest of the population due to functional or social impairments and progressive limitations of mobility and physical capabilities over time; as a result of the absence of specially designed housing with supportive services, elderly persons suffering from short-term or permanent disability or the natural consequences of aging are often subject to inappropriate, premature or overextended institutionalization resulting in overutilization of costly services and the negative impact of the institutional environment on the individual’s emotional and physical well-being; a need exists to fill this gap in the housing continuum between independent living and institutionalization for those senior citizens who do not require highly intensive support systems yet cannot maintain a totally independent lifestyle; congregate housing has proven to be a successful and cost effective means of fulfilling basic shelter and everyday service needs of elderly persons thereby enabling them to preserve their dignity and independence in a secure environment.

The Legislature further finds and declares that critical deficiencies in the availability of congregate housing services are partially attributable to the inability of a large percentage of the elderly population on fixed or limited incomes to absorb the cost of the services as part of the rental payments.

The Legislature, therefore, declares it to be the policy of this State to promote the health, safety and welfare of its senior citizens by encouraging the development of congregate facilities where none presently exist and by providing financial assistance to those frail elderly persons who are in need of basic services but cannot afford the cost of such services. The Legislature further declares that the provision of congregate housing service subsidies for frail elderly persons is a public purpose for which moneys may be expended or granted and the enactment of this act is in the public interest.

L.1981, c. 553, s. 2.