Advocacy Underway to Secure Broadband Funding for Older Adults

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Libbie Chapuran

Following billions of dollars in broadband investments approved by Congress in the fall of 2021, federal and state governments have begun making plans to distribute funds and increase connectivity, potentially for affordable housing communities.

Funds from the Nov. 2021 Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) will flow from the federal government to state broadband offices, setting up mechanisms to distribute the investment throughout their jurisdictions. In total, more than $46 billion were approved for broadband construction, digital literacy programming, equitable access mapping, internet service adoption projects, and more.

Multifamily residential housing, low-income households, and older adults are highlighted among the law's intended beneficiaries. As the federal government and then state governments develop plans to allocate the broadband funds, LeadingAge is weighing in at every level to ensure the funds create new opportunities for connectivity for HUD-assisted and other un- and underserved older adult households. More information is available here.