Debora Keller is the executive director of Bath Housing, former president of the Maine Association of Public Housing Directors and a frequent voice on housing policy in Maine.

Gov. Janet Mills recently signed a supplemental budget that includes $2 million in additional funding for the Community Aging in Place program. This investment reflects growing — and bipartisan — recognition that small, targeted home repairs can prevent injuries, reduce health care costs and help older Mainers remain safely in their homes.

Walk into almost any older home in Maine and similar obstacles appear: worn stairs, dim lighting, challenging bathrooms. These homes have often been well loved for decades — but they also show how quickly a familiar space can become harder to live in as we age.

That reality matters even more in Maine, the oldest state in the nation. According to U.S. Census data, a quarter of Mainers are 65 and older, making seniors the fastest growing demographic in our state. Seniors are increasingly living in housing that was never designed to meet their changing needs. For many, there are few affordable alternatives. Staying safely at home is not just a preference, but often the only viable option. Noticing these patterns is what led Bath Housing to create Comfortably Home 10 years ago.

What started as a small effort in Bath has since shaped work across the state. In 2017, MaineHousing launched the Community Aging in Place Grant program based on Bath’s Comfortably Home model, bringing the concept to more Maine communities through partnerships with local housing authorities, community action agencies and nonprofits. In eight years, CAIP organizations have collectively completed more than 8,600 repairs for 1,400 homeowners in 232 communities.

Since 2016, nearly 500 homeowners around Bath have received help through Comfortably Home. Most repairs are small, yet impactful: a secure rail where one was loose, grab bars installed where none existed or a light illuminating a darkened staircase. These preventive changes average less than $3,000 per home and make an immediate difference in restoring quality of life and dignity.

For many participants, the impact goes beyond physical safety. As one homeowner told us, “I didn’t even realize how much I was struggling with stairs until the handrail went in. Now I feel safe leaving the house again.” When homes become safer, people regain confidence, independence and peace of mind.

For a relatively low cost, the outcomes are remarkable. CAIP agencies report sharp declines in falls among participants, with annual reductions ranging from 24 to 89%. Hospitalization has fallen as well, with reductions between 15 and 76%. These numbers match what we see every week: a homeowner who once hesitated on the stairs now moves without second-guessing. Someone who felt uneasy in the bathroom now feels secure.

Preventing falls and injuries also means fewer emergency calls, fewer ambulance transports and less pressure on local emergency response and municipal budgets. For about $3,000 per person, just a fraction of the $18,658 average cost of an inpatient hospital stay in 2018 dollars, this program can help older adults stay safely in their homes and avoid the cascade of medical and housing crises that follow a serious fall. And with falls costing the U.S. nearly $20 billion annually in emergency and inpatient care, investing $3,000 in prevention is a clear case of smart spending.

The support for this work has been echoed by the Legislature as well. In March, lawmakers formally recognized Bath Housing’s Comfortably Home program as it reached 10 years of service, with Sen. Denise Tepler noting it as a model for housing authorities across the state.

For Bath Housing, this momentum helps advance several goals. We want to secure stabilized CAIP funding so agencies can plan ahead. We want to increase the number of families served. And we want to extend the model to places that do not yet have it, including parts of Lincoln County where the need is well known. The interest from communities keeps growing, and the program’s track record supports that growth.

In a state where aging in place is both a personal wish and a public necessity, continued investment, including the new funding signed into law this month, can help more Mainers live safely in the places that feel most like home.