How we’re helping Washington, D.C. seniors stay healthy at home

May 29, 2026 3 minute read

Key Insights & Takeaways

How are UnitedHealthcare and Seabury helping seniors in Washington, D.C.?

UHC is supporting Seabury Resources for Aging to launch a groundbreaking housing stabilization fund that helps seniors stay at home by confronting high utility costs and unsafe living conditions.

Who does the Seabury housing stabilization fund serve? How much financial support is available?

60+ year old residents of Washington, D.C., are eligible to receive an average of $1,500 to pay past-due utility bills.

How will the funding be used?

Strengthening housing stability
Paying utility bills
Confronting unsafe and unsanitary living conditions
Preparing for bedbug remediation
Providing decluttering services for hoarding behaviors

How can D.C. seniors receive assistance through the Seabury fund?

Seabury is accepting applications on its website.

For many Americans in their 60s and above, staying at home can be the best choice for their well-being.

Relocation to a care facility is essential for some vulnerable older adults, but 77% of people over 50 say they would prefer to age in place¹— and many in the medical community praise the benefits of maintaining independence, healthy routines, and a familiar support network.

But as the population of self-sufficient seniors continues to increase, many need more community support to enjoy their twilight years in the communities they know.

This is why Seabury Resources for Aging, with the support of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of D.C., has launched a groundbreaking housing stabilization fund to help lower-income seniors overcome real-world hurdles to aging in place with dignity.

“As the ‘solo ager’ population surges — and the costs of housing and health care continue to rise together — families and older adults need organizations willing to step into the gaps with real, community-level solutions," said Dawn Quattlebaum, CEO of Seabury Resources for Aging.

“This collaboration with UnitedHealthcare allows us to act at the exact moment a senior’s home — and their independence — is most at risk."

Dawn Quattlebaum CEO of Seabury Resources for Aging

D.C. has some of the highest utility bills
in the U.S.

Average monthly bills for a
1-bedroom apartment²

$478
total monthly cost

$100
electric

$83
gas

$159
waste/recycling

$137
water/sewer

Lending a helping hand with high utility costs

No matter how independent a senior might be, they still face the same escalating utility costs as everyone else. As of 2026, the average Washington household pays $478 per month in utilities — putting it 8th among all U.S. cities, according to a nationwide analysis by bill-pay service Doxo.²

Seabury's housing stabilization fund addresses this head on to help ensure those in need won’t be forced to move out due to overdue light, gas, and water bills. The fund will provide an average intervention of $1,500 per senior to address utility arrears, support housing stability, and connect older adults to financial and physical sustainability resources.

Providing support for bed bug remediation

Seabury's new fund will support seniors in need of professional bed bug remediation in a city with one of the highest infestation rates in the nation.³ According to the national pest control company Orkin, Washington D.C. ranked sixth on its annual “Top 50 Bed Bug Cities” list in 2025.⁴

In addition to covering bed bug treatment when necessary, funding will be provided to help seniors who need help with physically demanding preparation tasks, such as moving furniture away from walls, laundering fabrics, clearing shelves, and emptying drawers.

Curtailing hoarding behavior with decluttering services

Several studies have shown that hoarding behavior is more common among older adults⁵ and may worsen with age.⁶

In some cases, this can create fire safety concerns or barriers to care providers entering the home, and research has linked these living conditions to three common problems that derail the goals of aging in place:

Hospitalization
Pre-emptive nursing home placement
Social isolation that drives poor health outcomes

To ensure the effects of hoarding don't unnecessarily sway care decisions, Seabury’s fund will also support professional decluttering services for vulnerable adults in need.

“Seabury’s work to help older adults remain safely in their homes aligns with our mission to build healthier communities.”

Kathlyn Wee CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of D.C. and Maryland

UnitedHealthcare and Seabury: Committed to supporting seniors in D.C.

For Quattlebaum and Seabury Resources for Aging, today’s era marks a "defining moment" for aging in the country.

Fortunately, some of the biggest challenges to aging in place safely can be confronted with simple, practical steps.

Kathlyn Wee, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of D.C. and Maryland, has seen firsthand how previous community initiatives in Washington, D.C., have made a meaningful difference.

“Social factors like stable housing have a profound impact on overall health,” said Wee. “Collaborations like this one demonstrate how the private and nonprofit sectors can work together to solve for the full spectrum of factors that impact health outcomes.”

While seniors who want to age in place will need even more community support in the years to come, Seabury's investment in housing stability is a step in the right direction.