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Is there any financial assistance available to help her with rent? As of now, she can live independently. Thank you.

It would be nice to have your mom live near you but consider the challenges in her doing so, unless it is an emergency for care near you. Being she is now 80 years old, can she wait five years to get into a CA place? Consider her health conditions, if any, besides the stress that moving may happen.

If Medi-Cal does get cut, where will all the low-income people go? Hopefully not on the streets, as that is an inhumane solution.
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Reply to Patathome01
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I've lived in California (San Francisco Bay Area) since 1967. I went thru 100 hoops to get my Ex into a Cal Vet home (5 year wait list) or Senior Ind apt, which he finally got for $1,300. It is Tax Credit bldg, so Senior must make $32K-$55K to qualify. He got a VA award to add to his Social Security income or would have never got it. All low income Senior complexes start at $1,800 for a studio.

Lots of Rooms in private homes (Roomies.com) rent for $1,000-$1600 average, plus they still must pay for food & utilities. Most homeowners only want working people (40-50), not Seniors on Social Security. If I rent my room out again, it will be $1,300 plus half the power bills. I will only accept a working woman, with a credit check. I learned my lesson!!!

Your condo deal you have now is good, despite thinking it is very expensive! My Ex lived in the prime adult community of Rossmoor for 10 years. He paid cash for a condo in 2010, the HOA was $300. By 2020, the HOA had gone up to $1,100, he couldn't afford it anymore. Mine are $3,500 for a 1,500 SF 3bd/2bth home. I've been here 44 years, no mortgage. Yet my PG&E (power) runs me $320 in the winter, and $220 in the summer. With a Low Income discount!

Half my neighbors had their home ins. cancelled, or doubled. I have USAA, bundle home and car. My middle-aged friends still working have $9,000 property taxes plus huge mortgages. Can't make it without $125K income.

Just warning you trying to bring 80 yr old Mom here is going to be extremely stressful and out of her price range. Trump is cutting Medi-Cal too. Waiting lists for low income apts. run 2 years. She will have to move in with you to survive. My Ex lived at my home 3 years before I got him a place, when it was originally to be 6 months. It was 3 years of pure hell. Spiked my blood pressure, wore me out and took away 3 years I will never get back.

Think long and hard WHY you want Mom to move across the country.
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Reply to Dawn88
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I know that Medi-Cal supports medical long-term care but not sure for assisted and independent living. Our government will help individuals who have about $20,000 or less annual income and around $3,000 or less in resources, such as in a bank.

Try this for independent living in CA:
https://spisloshub.com/articles/how-to-pay-for-independent-living-167984.htm#:~:text=For%20this%20reason%2C%20independent%20living,often%20divided%20into%20two%20categories.
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Reply to Patathome01
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twills: Upon searching 'financial assistance for seniors in California,' several came up - one being Medi-Cal.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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I'm very fortunate to have a condo I've lived in since 1991, but my fire insurance has gone from $450 to $950 annually in just four years! Also, I must pay a monthly fee HOA fee of $506. The property taxes cost around $3,200 annually. The condo rentals at my area for studios start at $2,000!

Independent living is worse ranging from $3,100 to $4,000 months, and that is only rent alone, not including services such as dining, laundry, etc.

Unfortunately, I have no local family, just friends. So, this condo is my place until further notice. Only assisted living or nursing home will force me to move out. Hope that is not for awhile at age 69. Wish me luck!
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Reply to Patathome01
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CA is very expensive, of course, depending on where your mother wants to live. Check with her county for financial assistance. As said by our readers, the wait lists are long due to housing shortages. Good Luck!

The average rent in California is around $2,763 per month12345. Rent prices can vary depending on the region, with metropolitan areas having higher rents than smaller towns and rural areas2. Coastal cities and sought-after suburbs also drive up rent prices due to their prime locations4. Average studio rent is $2,195.

$800 to $1200 per month, but that means the tenant may have to share space.
The average cost to rent a room in California in 2023 is $800 to $1200 per month depending on the location1. The overall average fair market rent for a residential rental property in California is $2,345 as of 20242. The average Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom home in California is $1,370 per month3.
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Reply to Patathome01
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fluffy1966 Feb 16, 2025
Very helpful information to deliberate! And, with very recent natural disasters, housing costs might be driven even more up due to scarcity.
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I moved to the Bay Area while I was still working to be near my daughter. Cost of living is high here. Finding a primary care physician who is accepting new patients is also problematic. It's also a huge adjustment. I was 58 and found I had to work very hard to find friends and make a life. It is not easy to uproot your life when you are older. It can be lonely.

Regarding living options, maybe a roommate situation could be an affordable option for your mother until the time she needs more help. There is a website for the Bay Area counties that might be useful if you live in this area. I don't have any first hand information about anything, just passing the info along.

Here is the website: https://frontporch.net/live/home-match/#request-info

Good luck to you!
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Reply to Hothouseflower
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One question -- is she really willing to move? We have multiple posts here, including very recently, from people who moved their parents to be closer to them and then the parent refused to make new friends or community connections and, although supposedly independent, became totally reliant on their child for everything. Just pointing out that possible pitfall, if your mother is happy where she is and would only be moving to please you.
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Reply to MG8522
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twills Feb 12, 2025
I'm not really sure if she would be willing or not. I don't want to mention it to her yet because I think there is a good chance it will be financially out of the question. I think she would want to move, and she doesn't have many friends left where she is now, and no family. She is really good at making new friends. However, I don't want to get her hopes up by mentioning it to her only to find it's just not affordable.
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Peggy Sue is right about the waiting lists.
Things as regards this move are on you to research and there are MANY.
Residency rules, availability and cost of future needs (VERY HIGH in my state of California overall, much more in northern than in southern areas), insurance choices for supplemental, and the one GOOD NEWS --lookback for Medicaid which is only 2 1/2 years in my state and a good deal MORE MONEY can be kept while still qualifying for aid.

So there will be a lot on your plate. The research alone will take you a long time, and I would tackle on thing at a time, housing being first and foremost.
I can only wish you the very best of luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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The wait lists for subsidized housing are years long in every county. I would not count on any kind of rent aid either.

If mom is in a stable 1br apartment there, that may be a room in a shared house depending on where you live, unless you commit either to subsidizing her to have her own apt
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Reply to PeggySue2020
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We are an international forum of caregivers to elders here on Agingcare. Look into Section 8 housing in your area or call the area agency on aging to see if they can guide you.

Good luck to you.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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twills Feb 12, 2025
Thank you.
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