Earlier in March, CPAH hosted a Housing Forum dedicated to the issue of older adults and homelessness. We had an excellent panel discussion, including questions from the audience. You can watch the conversation here.
This issue is important to CPAH because we know that older adults are the fastest-growing group of people who are entering homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 25% of all people experiencing homelessness are 55 and older. Our statistics in the metro region mirror this national number. It is easy to understand why housing might be a huge issue for older adults; many are living on fixed incomes, health issues are becoming more challenging and expensive over time, and the cost of living, especially the cost of rental housing, is rising.
The math is tough. Some seniors living on social security may receive a monthly income that is less than the monthly rent of a studio apartment. Certainly, anyone struggling with housing and health issues before aging into their sixties is finding that it is even more difficult to stay housed as they get older. And some older adults are newly facing housing instability. Ultimately, maintaining an apartment is tenuous at best for many older people.
Rent assistance is a powerful way to address housing instability, along with adding new housing, especially affordable housing, to the community. Also, Shared Housing (think Golden Girls) can be an opportunity for some seniors. The recent Metro Housing bond, as well as the current SHS tax, is allowing CPAH to provide housing resources to older adults. As you can see from this issue, we are looking forward to starting construction at Meadowlark Place.
Cuts to programs that serve seniors, including veterans programs, support for affordable housing, nutrition, and health care, all impact someone’s ability to stay housed. As our community experiences changes in funding, we need to double down and make sure that those who are most vulnerable are protected. We have amazing local programs. We just need to keep it up and grow them.
