How to apply for Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) — Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Aging with the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging (P4A), delivered by local Area Agencies on Aging and a local housing partner

Who it's for

An elder cottage is a small, separate, manufactured home placed for a time in the side or back garden of a family member's or close friend's house. It gives you your own front door and your own space while keeping you next to people who can help. If your needs change, the cottage can be moved to another family's home. Everyone who lives in one has a low income and pays no more than 30% of their monthly income for the cottage. The Pennsylvania Department of Aging runs ECHO with the Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and each cottage is arranged locally between your Area Agency on Aging and a housing partner. Ask your county Area Agency on Aging whether ECHO operates where you live.

ECHO depends on two things this check cannot tell you. First, it is not available everywhere — cottages come from a local partnership between an Area Agency on Aging and a housing partner, so ask your county agency whether it operates near you. Second, you need a family member or close friend willing to host the cottage in their side or back garden, and their property must be able to take it; without that there is nowhere to put it. You must have a low income, and you pay up to 30% of your monthly income toward the cottage, so it is not free. The placement is temporary by design and the cottage can be moved. Not legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final decision.

People who qualify for one senior program often qualify for others. See everything you may qualify for — free, no SSN, about five minutes.

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What you'll need

Proof of income, used to set your monthly payment
Agreement from the family member or friend whose property the cottage would sit on

Where to apply

Apply online: official application

Step by step

Contact your county Area Agency on Aging to confirm that the ECHO program operates in your area, since it is not available everywhere and depends on a local partnership between an Area Agency on Aging and a housing partner.
Identify a family member or close friend who is willing to host the elder cottage in the side or back garden of their property, and confirm that their property can accommodate it — without a willing host and a suitable property, the program cannot move forward.
Gather your proof of income, which will be used to set your monthly payment (you will pay no more than 30% of your monthly income toward the cottage).
Obtain a signed agreement from the family member or friend whose property the cottage would sit on.
Apply online through the Pennsylvania application portal to submit your ECHO application.

What to expect: After submitting your application, your local Area Agency on Aging and their housing partner will work with you to arrange the cottage placement. Processing times vary, so ask your county Area Agency on Aging for an estimate of how long the process takes in your area. There is no set renewal deadline — your participation continues for as long as the placement lasts. Keep in mind that the placement is temporary by design, and if your needs change, the cottage can be moved to another family's home. The agency makes the final decision on eligibility and placement.

Renewals

for as long as the placement lasts

Official source →Last verified · October 4, 2026

Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.

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Not legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.