Fall 2026
9/25/2026
Features
Center For Senior Services Newsletter
Welcome to the B’nai B’rith Center for Senior Services quarterly newsletter, Seniority Report.
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Annual Managers and Service Coordinators Meeting May 13-15 Recap
This year the annual Managers and Service Coordinators meeting took place in Las Vegas, Nevada from May 13-15. On Wednesday, May 13, the meeting kicked off with a volunteer service project at Three Square, the largest anti-hunger organization in Southern Nevada. Attendees packed and prepared frozen food entrees for distribution through Three Square’s Senior Pantries, sorting and labeling donated canned goods and creating bags to hold produce. This was followed by a tour of the facility and a Q&A with Four Square staff about their anti-hunger programs, focusing on services provided to senior clients.
The biggest takeaway from the visit to Three Square was how its staff identified barriers for older adults to access the services provided and creative solutions to solve the problems, including finding grants, fundraising and corporate partnerships to address those barriers. Three Square has a traditional food bank where people line up in cars to receive donations, but that is not possible for many older adults. As a result, Three Square has opened smaller community food pantries for seniors and has partnered with Lyft to provide transportation for those who need it. For more rural communities, Three Square delivers meals and has also partnered with DoorDash to deliver meals as well.
Continuing the theme of food insecurity and affordability challenges for residents, the afternoon session focused on best practices with solutions from the housing network. Examples included partnering with food banks to provide food distribution to the building and creating pantries to distribute non-perishable toiletries, cleaning supplies and paper goods such as toilet paper and paper towels.
On Thursday, May 14, sessions focused on creating a collaborative working relationship between staff by learning about your own personality type as well as how to work with other personality types. Facilitated by Michael Alexander, the former executive director of the Affordable Housing Management Association of East Texas and Certified NAHMA Trainer, the Communications workshop has also been presented to other national organizations. The first step was learning about self-awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of your own personality type, and for other personality types. That self-awareness can also extend to working with residents, taking a step back and reassessing how you relate to someone that may have a very different way of processing information. This builds on the empathy session (Take a Walk in My Shoes) that Michael facilitated at the 2025 annual Managers and Service Coordinators meeting. Michael and Janel wrapped up the Communication session by applying the newfound awareness with case studies centering on how different staff interact to support residents and each other.
Building staff from the B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Network participate in the volunteer service project at Three Square during the annual Managers and Service Coordinators Meeting.
2026 Annual B’nai B’rith Conference on Senior Housing
This year the annual B’nai B’rith Conference on Senior Housing will be held in Denver, Colorado Oct. 17-19, 2026.
The conference will kick off with a Welcome Reception on Saturday evening, Oct. 17. On Sunday, Oct. 18, there will be board of directors and staff breakouts and joint programming, as well as an evening event at the Cooper Lounge, located in the historic Union Station. Monday, Oct. 19, includes joint sessions and a visit to Kavod Senior Living, and will conclude in the evening with a closing reception. Board members, management staff and service coordinators are encouraged to attend.
On Monday, Oct. 19, we will be visiting Kavod Senior Living, two Section 202 buildings located in the Cherry Creek area of Denver. Although not sponsored by B’nai B’rith, past President of B’nai B’rith International Gary Saltzman is the incoming chair of the board of directors and has invited us to visit the building to learn about some of the very innovative programs that the board and staff have implemented to the benefit of the residents.
Topics include Communication Between the board and staff, resident programming, fundraising and grants, expansion of resident services, updates from HUD, Congressional and Federal updates and sharing best practices throughout the housing network.
For more information, please contact Janel Doughten: [email protected]
A Note from the Chair
Dennis Rice, Chair, B’nai B’rith Center for Senior Services
Each fall the Center for Senior Services (CSS) sponsors the Conference on Senior Housing, usually held in a location where B’nai B’rith has a senior housing facility. Attendees include managers, assistant managers and a few members of the boards of directors, usually the president and vice president of the board, as well as some long-time volunteers.
Last year, the annual conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by B’nai B’rith Homecrest House I/II/III, and included a visit to the buildings for tours and dinner. Participants met with staff and residents while touring the beautiful campus. I was so impressed with the facility, the programming and the genuine happiness of the residents, as well as how much they and the staff care about each other. After dinner, a DJ got the group singing and dancing, showcasing one of the most popular events that is held for residents at Homecrest House a few times a year. An event that includes music and dance is a great way to break down barriers for participation, especially language barriers—everyone knows how to sing and dance!
This year, the annual Conference on Senior Housing will be held in Denver, Colorado. Although we do not have a B’nai B’rith sponsored building in Denver, we have been invited by past B’nai B’rith international President, Gary Saltzman, to hold the conference in conjunction with a visit to Kavod Senior Living, two Section 202 buildings in the Cherry Creek area of Denver. It will be especially good timing to visit since Gary is the incoming board chair at Kavod.
In January, Janel Doughten, director of Housing Management & Education for CSS, and I met with Kavod’s outgoing board chair Scott Fisher and were both impressed by the extensive number of programs at Kavod that benefit the residents. This will be a unique opportunity for those attending the conference to observe how the Kavod board and staff have been very innovative in making sure residents can age in place. Participants will see firsthand and hear from staff how they have created and funded programs such as partnerships with the University of Colorado to bring medical facilities to the campus, a visiting veterinarian who offers care for residents’ pets and the kosher meal program. Kavod staff will also share their expertise on finding and applying for grants to fund these projects.
Participants at the Annual Conference on Senior Housing in 2025.
It is so important to have this annual get-together, seeing old friends and colleagues and making new ones, sharing ideas and programs with other staff and volunteers from our own network of facilities is tantamount to improving our knowledge for helping our residents age wisely. Janel and Evan Carmen, CSS Legislative director for Aging Policy, always put together a wonderful program for attendees.
The first day of the annual conference, Sunday, Oct. 18, will feature breakouts in the morning for management staff and board members, giving the groups time to meet separately to discuss relevant issues and industry practices. The rest of the conference features joint programming on various topics such as working relationships between staff, boards and residents, updates from staff at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, Congressional and federal updates, group problem solving and a half day program at Kavod Senior Living.
I have been attending these conferences for over 20 years and I look forward to attending each year because I always learn something new, whether in sessions, visiting senior housing buildings or having a discussion at a reception with other attendees. The knowledge you glean from these conversations will give you ideas to take back to your building. For staff members or board members, in-person meetings are a huge benefit because they allow us to come together to share and learn with other members of the CSS housing network. We hope to see you in Denver in October!
For more information on the annual Conference on Senior Housing in Denver, CO, Oct. 17-19, 2026, please contact: [email protected]
Upcoming Center for Senior Services Events for 2026-2027
- Annual Conference on Senior Housing Oct. 17-19, 2026
Join your colleagues in Denver, Colorado for the Annual Conference on Senior Housing in October. The group will be visiting Kavod Senior Living, a Section 202 senior housing building in Denver that has become an innovator in the field of housing and services, allowing residents to continue living independently and age in place.
For more details, contact [email protected] - Annual Managers and Service Coordinators Meeting Spring 2027
TBD - Resident Leadership Retreat August 2027
B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp, Lake Como, PA - Annual Conference on Senior Housing Fall 2027
TBD
A Note from the Co-Chair
By Abbie Stone, Co-Chair, B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Committee
Getting to Know B’nai B’rith Housing Incorporated: A Legacy of Supporting Seniors Through Affordable Housing
B’nai B’rith International has long been a leader in addressing aging issues within the Jewish community and beyond. In the early 1980s, B’nai B’rith Housing Incorporated (BBHI) was established as the dedicated nonprofit housing sponsor arm of B’nai B’rith, with a mission to expand access to quality, affordable housing for older adults. Along with the change to BBHI as the sponsor, B’nai B’rith established a professionally staffed office in Washington, D.C. to support the housing network, which eventually became the Center for Senior Services (CSS).
B’nai B’rith’s first partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was launched in 1971. Today, BBHI proudly supports 35 affordable housing communities across 27 cities throughout the United States and continues to grow, providing desperately needed housing opportunities for seniors. We are the largest national Jewish sponsor of subsidized housing for older adults in the country.
The B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Committee is composed of dedicated board members of the housing network who are committed to serving residents of BBHI’s sponsored affordable housing communities. The committee helps ensure that each property remains true to BBHI’s founding mission: to provide seniors with quality, affordable housing in a secure, supportive community environment, without regard to religion, race or national origin, while maximizing their independence and maintaining a dignified lifestyle.
As the sponsor organization, BBHI, together with its volunteer Senior Housing Committee, is responsible for providing oversight and ensuring that the mission, values and highest standards of operation are carried out with integrity.
I am honored to have recently been appointed a member of the board of directors of BBHI and look forward to continuing to serve the B’nai B’rith housing network in this new role.
Being part of the CSS housing network provides communities with access to a wealth of resources, expertise and support. Through ongoing training and educational opportunities, CSS supports on-site staff, property management teams, volunteer boards and residents. The CSS staff remains current on national senior housing initiatives, provides guidance on working with HUD and other federal agencies, advocates on behalf of residents through Congressional outreach, and shares valuable best practices across the network.
The communities within our housing network are much more than buildings—they are vibrant communities that provide far more than basic bricks-and-mortar. Each unique property offers safe, secure, quality housing that helps older adults age with dignity, along with opportunities for personal connection, supportive services and life-enhancing activities that enrich residents’ daily lives.
We don’t just provide senior housing—we partner with dedicated staff, volunteers and other organizations to create places residents can truly call home. Together, we build lasting communities where older adults can age in place with dignity, security and independence.
It is an honor to be part of such a diverse, creative network.
On the Hill
By Evan Carmen, Legislative Director for Aging Policy
CSS Advocates for Full Funding in FY2027 Legislation
The Center for Senior Services (CSS) has continued advocacy efforts throughout the summer for FY 2027. This includes advocating for full funding of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) senior housing program alongside the American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC). Meetings have been productive, and there appears to be bipartisan support for the program in Congress. The House of Representatives released draft legislation that appropriated $1.061 billion for HUD senior housing and $18.975 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA). The committee reports this will provide full renewal funding for housing contracts.
Recently, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a short-term budget known as a continuing resolution (CR), to fund senior housing through Dec. 11. We will keep our senior housing network updated on all developments related to government funding, which we anticipate will develop after Election Day.
From May to August 2026, we met with staff members from the following offices:
Senate
- Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
- Andy Kim (D-N.J.)
- Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
- Dave McCormick (R-Pa.)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) - Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
- Edward Markey (D-Mass.)
House
- Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.)
- Sara McBride (D-Del)
- Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)
- Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.)
- Katherine Clark (D-Mass.)
- Glenn Grothman (R-Wisc.)
- Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.)
- Herb Conaway (D-N.J.)
- House Appropriations Committee
- House Financial Services Committee
Continued Senior Housing Advocacy
As part of our advocacy efforts, B’nai B’rith continues to invite elected officials and their staff to buildings in our senior housing network. If you are a building interested in hosting your member of Congress, please reach out to CSS.
Additionally, as discussed during our Managers and Service Coordinators meeting in Las Vegas, CSS would like to incorporate your residents into our Capitol Hill advocacy efforts. Consequently, it would be great if you could send us a 60 to 90 second video of a resident discussing their experiences at your property. We request the residents share their first name, how long they have lived at the property, where they would be if not for the housing and the services provided at the building. This way we can share the video with your resident’s congressional office during our meetings.
Please email us the video once it is finished. If the video is too big to send via email, please let us know and we will figure another way. As always, we appreciate your efforts and send a big thank you to buildings who have already sent us videos. Please let us know if you have any questions.
What Has CSS Staff Been Up To?
- Following the retirement of Mark Olshan, director of the Center for Senior Services (CSS), in June 2026, Janel Doughten has been named director of Housing Management & Education and Evan Carmen has been named director for Legislative Aging Policy and Housing Development. The two will serve as co-directors of the Center for Senior Services. Janel and Evan are looking forward to continuing to further the mission of CSS in their new roles.
- Since January, Janel has been visiting buildings in the CSS Housing Network to work with the Resident Associations, officers and staff on the purpose and role of the Resident Associations in the buildings. Sessions have been held in person and virtually, with visits so far to the B’nai B’rith Apartments of Deerfield Beach, Florida; Sam J. Stone Covenant Apartments of Peoria, Illinois; Adelstein Family-Project H.O.P.E. B’nai B’rith House in the Bronx, New York and B’nai B’rith of Queens in Flushing, New York.
- This spring, Janel was asked again to serve on the Grant Review Committee for the Center on Aging, Trauma, and Holocaust Survivor Care at the Jewish Federations of North America. This grant is made available every two years, and the center invites professionals from the aging and trauma community to serve on the Review Committee for the two-year grant: Innovations in Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Supportive Services for Holocaust Survivors, Older Adults with a History of Trauma, and Their Family Caregivers. Janel first served on the committee in 2024.
Around the Network
Summer is Barbeque Season!
Residents and staff enjoying barbeque and ice cream at Fountain Heights B’nai B’rith Senior Housing in New Haven, CT.
In July, Fountain Heights B’nai B’rith Senior Housing in New Haven, CT and Queens B’nai B’rith in Flushing, NY held barbeques for the residents.
Fountain Heights brought in a food truck that provided grilled burgers and ice cream sundaes for the residents and board members. CSS co-director Janel Doughten attended the festivities and had an impromptu discussion with residents about resident associations.
At B’nai B’rith of Queens, staff and volunteers served the residents a delicious barbeque meal in the community room for the building’s annual BBQ.
B’nai B’rith France submitted by Etienne Levy, President, B’nai B’rith France Solidarity Commission
The B’nai B’rith France Solidarity Commission arranges weekly visits by members to senior housing buildings in France. This spring, B’nai B’rith members honored mothers during a Shavuot program at the Moïse Léon home in Paris, originally a retirement home for Jewish women founded in 1883.