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Abstract
Homelessness among older adults is increasing; among single homeless adults, approximately half are ages 50 and older. Of these, almost half first became homeless after age 50. Adults ages 50 and older who are homeless are experiencing health conditions-including cognitive and functional impairment-20 years earlier than their housed counterparts. They often use costly acute healthcare services, and die prematurely. Ending homelessness among older adults will require increasing the supply of affordable housing, targeted prevention efforts, and expanding permanent supportive housing, adapted to older adult needs.
Key Words older adult homelessness, poverty, affordable housing, racial justice, SSI, SSDI
Homelessness has devastating effects on people's health and spirits, whether they live in a tent, a vehicle, or a homeless shelter. While there has been ample media attention on homelessness, recently, less attention has been paid to the news that the homeless population is aging. In the early 1990s, 11 percent of homeless single adults were ages 50 or older. By 2003, 37 percent were. Now, approximately half are. People ages 65 and older are the fastest growing age group of people who are homeless; by 2030 their numbers will triple (Culhane et al" 2019). While homelessness is devastating for all, older adults face additional risks and harms from the experience.
The fundamental cause of homelessness is poverty, the lack of affordable housing, and the ongoing effects of structural racism. According to the Harvard Joint Center on Housing, people older than age 50 have the highest risk of paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent or mortgage (Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University [JCHS], 2018). One half of renters ages 50 and older in the United States pay more than 30 percent of their household income on rent. Paying this much for housing means cutting back on other expenses, including healthcare, transportation, and healthful food.
Low-income people who spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent are unable to save money, leaving them vulnerable to losing their housing when they face setbacks, such as a job loss, sickness, or death of a spouse or partner.
At its heart, the homelessness crisis is due to lack of affordable housing for the lowest income Americans. Existing housing stock with lower rents...