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Department of Aging proposes SOAR program to consolidate three senior service streams
Summary
House Bill 36 would repeal older statutes and combine three state senior programs into a single, person‑centered Supporting Older Adults with Resources (SOAR) program; the department said the change aims to standardize eligibility and reduce administrative burden while preserving services to roughly 4,000 current clients.
Secretary Carmel Roque and Department of Aging staff presented House Bill 36 to the Health and Government Operations Committee as a statutory cleanup and program redesign that would consolidate the Congregate Housing Services Program, the Senior Assisted Living Subsidy (SALS) program and the Senior Care Program into a single program tentatively called SOAR — Supporting Older Adults with Resources.
Roque said the consolidated program would move from a location‑based eligibility model (assisted living or congregate housing) to a person‑centered approach that standardizes eligibility, benefits and reporting across Area Agencies on Aging. “At its core our goal is to serve more older Marylanders, not fewer,” she told the committee, and emphasized a delayed effective date to allow stakeholder workgroups and a smooth transition for current participants.
Department and housing officials noted that combined, the three programs amount to roughly $21 million in state funding and serve about 4,000 people. Chuck Cook of DHCD and Camille Dobson of Advancing States supported the consolidation and said similar models exist in other states; Dobson said Advancing States has provided technical assistance to Maryland to design the transition.
Area Agencies on Aging and provider groups voiced conditional support but asked for statutory “hold harmless” language and a clear stakeholder process to ensure no eligible client loses services during transition. Anne Secot of the Maryland Association of Area Agencies on Aging said the parties had been negotiating a transition amendment and expected to finalize language to protect service continuity.
Ending: Committee members asked for engagement details and for the department to work with AAAs and providers during the one‑year transition window; the department offered clarifying amendments and requested a favorable report with amendments.
