Witnesses warn Safe at Home, homemaker help face waitlists as one-time funds expire

Testimony at the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor highlighted capacity limits at two in‑home support programs. A Department-affiliated witness said the Safe at Home home modification program currently caps modifications at $7,000 per person and that the program maintains careful budgeting to meet targets. When asked for counts, the witness said the homemaker program serves "about 160 to 200 clients" at any given moment and that Safe at Home assessments currently have an eight‑ to nine‑month wait for initial occupational therapy in some cases.

Chair Anita Bonds told witnesses the committee needs more precise numbers to make funding decisions and asked program staff to provide written breakdowns of program budgets and per‑participant costs within 10 days. Advocates said the loss of one‑time enhancements from FY26 and rising contractor costs threaten the programs' ability to continue at current service levels. "The homemaker program remains the only option for low to moderate income residents who need limited weekly home health aide assistance but do not qualify for Medicaid," one witness told the committee, urging preservation of funding.