Suffolk County, Massachusetts vs Broward County, Florida

Congregate Housing is shared affordable housing for older adults and people with disabilities who can live independently. Residents have a private bedroom and share the kitchen, dining and bathroom areas, with services arranged by an on-site coordinator. The state says there are more than 40 sites with room for about 500 residents. To be eligible you must be elderly (60 or older, or 62 or older depending on the housing type) or a non-elderly person with a disability, and able to live independently. Apply directly to the housing agency that runs a site; the site list is on mass.gov. MassOptions can help you find one: 800-243-4636.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

Free help for nursing facility residents who want to move back into the community. A Community Transition Liaison team assigned to every Massachusetts nursing facility works with the resident and family on a discharge plan, connects them to state programs and local supports, and works with the resident advocate to resolve problems with the move. It is available to all nursing facility residents age 22 or older, regardless of insurance type. Ask the facility's social worker for the CTLP team, contact your regional Aging Services Access Point, or call MassOptions at 800-243-4636.

Free help managing personal finances for income-eligible Massachusetts residents age 60 and older who have trouble keeping up with bills. Trained staff and volunteers help create a budget, pay bills on time, keep financial records, and deal with creditors; the program can also act as a representative payee. The program is run by the Executive Office of Aging & Independence with local Aging Services Access Points. Find your local Money Management coordinator through the program directory, or call MassOptions at 800-243-4636.

The state veterans cemeteries in Agawam and Winchendon offer free burial for eligible veterans — open to all veterans, not just Massachusetts residents — with a nominal fee for spouses and dependents ($300 casket burial, $150 cremation interment). Eligibility follows an other-than-dishonorable discharge or 20 years of Guard/Reserve service with retirement pay. Agawam: 413-821-9500; Winchendon: 978-297-9501.

Massachusetts residents 65 and older whose property tax (or 25% of rent) exceeds 10% of their income can claim a refundable state income tax credit of up to $2,820 (tax year 2025). Total Massachusetts income must not exceed $75,000 for a single filer, $94,000 for a head of household, or $112,000 for a married couple filing jointly, and the home's assessed value must be $1,298,000 or less. Renters qualify too. Claim it on Schedule CB with the state return — refundable even with no tax due, and claimable up to three years back.

Estimated bill savings: $100–$2,820 a year

Massachusetts' Chapter 115 program pays needs-based financial assistance to veterans and their dependents facing hardship — help with daily living expenses, medical costs, rent, and outpatient behavioral health care. Every city and town has a Veterans' Service Officer who takes applications and determines benefits under the state's budget standards. The HERO Act broadened who counts as a veteran, including anyone the U.S. VA recognizes. Contact the local VSO to apply; the MassVets Benefit Estimator at vets.mass.gov gives a quick preview.

Estimated cash: $1,000–$15,000 a year

Veteran Directed Care lets a veteran stay at home and choose who provides their care, including hiring a family member or friend. There is no age limit and you do not need a service-connected condition. You get a monthly budget to hire workers and buy services for daily needs — personal care such as bathing, grooming and dressing, plus house cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, shopping and other household chores. You can direct the budget yourself or name someone to do it for you. To qualify you must be enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration with a VA primary care team, meet the VA's functional eligibility test, be able to direct your own services or appoint someone to, and get a referral from the Miami VA. Call the Broward ADRC Helpline on 954-745-9779.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

Optional State Supplementation is a monthly cash payment from the State of Florida that supplements an SSI-eligible senior's income so they can afford the cost of an Assisted Living Facility (ALF), Adult Family Care Home (AFCH), or Mental Health Residential Treatment Facility. OSS is for low-income seniors and disabled adults who need help with the activities of daily living but who do not require nursing-home-level care. The state pays the difference between the resident's countable income and a published 'provider rate plus personal needs allowance' total — for an individual in an ALF the monthly income eligibility standard is $1,045.40 and the base provider rate is $991.40, plus a $160 monthly Personal Needs Allowance the resident keeps for incidentals (Florida Administrative Code 65A-2.036, effective June 24, 2025). To qualify, you must meet SSI's categorical eligibility (age 65+, blind, or disabled with countable income and resources below the SSI limits), be assessed as needing the level of care the facility provides, and reside in a state-licensed facility that accepts OSS payments. Eligibility is determined by DCF; payments are made monthly.

Estimated cash: $1,200–$9,600 a year

Florida gives free hunting, freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses to resident veterans who were honorably discharged and have a VA service-connected disability rating of 50% or more. The license is good for 5 years and is reissued on request every 5 years after that. Bring the VA letter showing the rating and proof of Florida residency to a county tax collector's office. Florida residents certified as totally and permanently disabled by the VA, workers' compensation, or Social Security qualify for free licenses under the same law even without the 50% veteran rating.

Estimated service value: $40–$50 a year

Florida law directs the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs to help veterans, their spouses, and their dependents prepare and file claims for VA benefits — disability compensation, pension, Aid and Attendance, survivor benefits — at no charge. FDVA claims examiners work alongside County Veteran Service Officers available in counties across the state. Getting the VA rating right matters twice in Florida: the rating drives federal compensation AND unlocks state benefits like the disabled-veteran property tax exemptions and free licenses. No one needs to pay a private company to file a VA claim.

Florida residents who are active or retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Reserves, the National Guard, or the Coast Guard can buy the Military Gold Sportsman's License for $18.50 a year — the same package that costs other residents $98.50. It bundles the hunting, freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing licenses along with the deer, wildlife management area, archery, muzzleloading gun, crossbow, turkey, Florida waterfowl, snook, and spiny lobster permits. Show a current military ID at a county tax collector's office, or verify online through Florida's license portal.

Estimated service value: $75–$85 a year

Broward County has five Focal Point Senior Centers offering a full range of services for older adults — meals, arts and crafts, recreation, transportation, education classes, health screening and support, information, referral and counselling. Separately, Adult Day Care Centres run daytime programmes in a professional care setting for frail older adults who live at home but need supervision during the day, letting them socialise and join planned activities while still getting health services. Some centres accept people with dementia. There are also five specialist Alzheimer's Day Care Centres, funded through the Area Agency, for people with a medically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease or related dementia — these charge a co-payment on a sliding scale based on what you can afford. Call the Broward ADRC Helpline on 954-745-9779 to find your nearest location.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

Free health and wellness classes for Broward County adults aged 60 and older, held at sites and community locations across the county. Topics cover safe fitness activities, nutrition, stress management and general well-being. One of them, Living Healthy with Chronic Conditions, is a six-session workshop of two and a half hours per session for people living with ongoing health problems such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic pain or anxiety. Caregivers can take part alongside the person they care for, classes are led by specially trained facilitators, and the workshop is also offered in Spanish. Call the Health and Wellness Coordinator on 954-745-9567 (or the Broward ADRC Helpline on 954-745-9779) to ask when the next class runs near you.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

Florida homeowners with a homestead exemption can put off paying part of their property taxes when the bill is high compared with their income. If you are 65 or older, you can defer the part of your taxes and assessments that is more than 3% of your household income (5% if you are younger than 65). You can defer the whole bill if household income was under $10,000 last year, or if you are 65 or older and your income is under the limit for the senior additional homestead exemption. The taxes are not canceled. They become a lien on the home, earn interest (no more than 7%), and come due when the home is sold or is no longer your homestead; a surviving spouse who qualifies can keep the deferral. You must apply each year with your county Tax Collector by March 31 and keep fire and extended insurance on the home.