ESSENTIAL NOTES
Nearly 40% of California's homeless population is over 50, indicating that the state's homeless population is aging quickly. As the state's population ages, California will see an increase in the number of older individuals living in the streets if prompt and deliberate governmental action is not taken.
All Californians, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, gender, or economic position, should have access to a decent, affordable, and accessible home. However, thousands of Californians—a growing number of whom are senior citizens 50 and older—continue to become homeless at a rate that exceeds the capacity of our systems to accommodate them. Over 215,000 individuals without children who needed to find a home or look for other life-sustaining assistance were reached out to by local California homeless service providers throughout the course of the 2022–2023 fiscal year, and an additional number were probably serviced by the end of 2023.85,310 of them, or over 40%, were adults who were 50 years of age or older. While homelessness is very harmful to a person's wellbeing at any age, the fastest-growing demographic of homeless people is older adults, who also make up the majority of those who are experiencing homelessness for the first time. As the state's population ages, California will see an increase in the number of older individuals living in the streets if prompt and deliberate governmental action is not taken.
Comprehending the many attributes, situations, and customized measures that older Californians without a place to live need in order to properly attend to their housing requirements and end homelessness across the whole state.
People who are 50 years of age or older are referred to as "older adults." This decision was taken in order to align with ongoing studies on older persons who are homeless or at danger of becoming so. It also recognizes that homeless people 50 years of age and older are more vulnerable in terms of their physical and mental health than they were in the past, and that these vulnerabilities call for specialized solutions.
The Unhoused Population in California Is Predominately Made Up of Older People
Forty percent of adult-only households that contacted the homelessness response system in the fiscal year 2022–2023 were made up of homeless Californians who were fifty years of age or older. However, just 34% of the state's population is above the age of 35.
Two primary cohorts have been identified by research as being responsible for the rise in older adult homelessness:
People who experienced homelessness early in life and as a result were more vulnerable, which resulted in extended spells of homelessness.
People who are elderly and experiencing homelessness for the first time
The prolonged economic downturn and inadequate income has hindered several individuals from accumulating savings or retirement funds, resulting in financial instability among the elderly population in California. Many cash-based safety net programs do not accept applications from adults without children since they are designed primarily for those with children.2.
The meager benefit levels offered by the programs are sometimes significantly lower for persons without dependents. Certain program benefits—especially those related to General Assistance and General Relief—have tight asset limitations, time constraints, and age requirements. They may also need a physical or developmental handicap. Inadequate financing for rental assistance also keeps almost 4 out of 5 low-income, childless, adult families from reaching their eligibility thresholds.3. It is obvious that, in order to guarantee that older Californians may continue to live in their homes, there is an urgent need for an expanded, targeted safety net and housing interventions at different periods. This is true regardless of the conditions that lead to homelessness for older persons.
The Unhoused Older Adult Population in California Is Still Predominated by Stark Racial Disparities
In California, homelessness among older Black, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander people is disproportionate. Although Black Californians over 50 make up around 5.4% of the state's population, they account for more than one in four (26%) of the older individuals who contacted homeless care providers in the fiscal year 2022–2023. Inequalities may also be seen in the communities of Pacific Islanders and Indigenous people, where the likelihood of interacting with the homelessness response system is twice that of Pacific Islanders and almost six times that of Indigenous people. Independent statistics from the state's point-in-time counts show that the number of Latinx Californians experiencing homelessness has grown overall, even among older persons.
The pronounced racial differences are consistent with the wider racial differences in California's homeless population, highlighting the fact that people of color experience the disproportionate and detrimental effects of homelessness. These differences are a result of deliberate discriminatory policies that harmed people of color in the areas of education, housing, the economy, and health. These factors all have an impact on an individual's capacity to find and maintain secure housing, particularly as they become older.
Redlining, official displacement, and predatory lending are examples of racist institutionalized policies that have disadvantaged generations by making it more difficult for them to find home and financial stability.4
Discriminatory policies have also made communities of color, particularly Black ones, more vulnerable to engagement in the criminal justice system, family dissolution, and traumatic experiences, all of which may contribute to and worsen homelessness over the course of a lifetime.
Most Older Adult Homeless Have a Disabling Illness
In the fiscal year 2022–2023, 72% of older persons who were homeless reported having a debilitating condition. Long-term physical, mental, or emotional problems that severely limit a person's capacity to live independently and might be improved with housing are considered disabling conditions. People with developmental difficulties are also included in it. According to research, a large number of homeless people develop health issues and mobility issues at an early age, sometimes decades before housed folks of the same age. The startling disparities highlight the negative impact homelessness has on Californians' health, particularly as they become older. This crucial element emphasizes how accessible and customized policy interventions must be for the varied group of older persons beginning at age 50.
Californians without homes have severe obstacles in getting access to healthcare, worry about their safety on a daily basis, and often lack access to basic essentials like hygienic conditions, regular meals, and space for medications. Many times, even short-term homeless shelters are ill-equipped to care for elderly people with complicated medical issues or mobility issues. Negative health outcomes are made worse when there is a lack of proper accommodation, medical assistance, and access to treatment. Being homeless eventually reduces one's chances of living a long, healthy life and maturing, as seen by the higher death rates of homeless populations relative to housed people.
Scaling supportive housing is a key strategy to provide suitable housing and care for older unhoused disabled Californians. The medical, physical, and behavioral health needs of homeless Californians with incapacitating conditions are met by an efficacious, evidence-based solution that combines wraparound supporting services with strong housing initiatives.
The majority of older adults without homes have some kind of income, but not enough.
In the fiscal year 2022–2023, the majority of older individuals without a place to live who contacted homeless assistance providers said they had at least one source of income. The typical monthly income of these older persons was $1,000, which is insufficient to pay for basic living expenditures like food, electricity, and transportation, much alone the fair market rent for a studio apartment in over 70% of the state's counties.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) (median = $1,040), General Assistance (median = $221), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (median = $1,037) were the top three sources of reported income. All of which are indicative of the very low incomes and high prevalence of incapacitating conditions among older adults without homes. Furthermore, about 25% of those who had a source of money said they were employed.
The high cost of housing and other basic requirements in California creates vulnerabilities that might result in homelessness since the limited state and federal help available to individuals without children, low-income seniors, and persons with disabilities cannot keep up with the costs. The inadequate benefit levels and stringent asset limitations imposed on Californians relying on these subsidies put them in a dire financial situation. Out of 100 homes with renters who are very low-income—a common demographic for older persons on fixed incomes—only 24 have access to affordable housing in 2022. The mismatch between housing prices and safety net income supports emphasizes how urgently large expenditures in cheap, accessible housing and monetary assistance are needed to prevent older persons from becoming homeless.
Senior Californians' homelessness is a result of high housing costs.
The main cause of older persons being homeless in California is the acute lack of affordable housing, which has resulted in increasing housing expenses. More over half (52%) of all older adult renters in California in 2022 were severely cost-burdened (spending more than 50% of their income in rent), and almost one in three (29%) were housing cost-burdened. Over 60% of older Black California renters could not afford their residence, making them the group with the highest rates. The fact that older Californians of color are more likely to be renters and, as a result, lack home ownership makes them more susceptible to housing instability. Older Latinx (37.1%), other Californians of color (29.6%), Asian Californians (26.1%), and Black Californians (45.7%) constitute the next group of renters.
The rising percentage of Californians of color living in renter homes is a direct result of discriminatory laws that have widened the racial wealth gap, restricted housing options, and created additional possibilities that have negatively impacted the lives of people of color in the future. Older adult tenants who pay a large percentage of their income for housing, particularly those with low or fixed incomes, have less money left over for necessities like food, medication, and transportation. This vulnerable situation—medical costs, rent increases, or other financial setbacks—may be the catalyst for homelessness. In the end, elderly tenants in California are forced to pay more than they can afford due to the state's housing scarcity, which exacerbates their financial and housing instability.
Lawmakers Can Make Sure That Every Elderly Person Has a House
Regardless of their origin or ability, older Californians are valued neighbors, parents, grandparents, and members of our communities who should have access to a dignified, affordable, and accessible place to call home. Understanding the particular housing, economic, and health issues older unhoused persons experience is crucial as state and federal authorities weigh options that may impact California's vulnerable and homeless populations. By doing this, decision-makers may implement tried-and-true measures and programs that can assist in ending homelessness among senior citizens, such as:
To guarantee that every Californian has access to an inexpensive home that is made to suit the requirements of many sorts of families, including older persons, single workers, and people with disabilities, more affordable rental and supportive housing should be built.
increasing General Assistance, refundable tax credits, Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment, and other financial assistance for low-income, disabled, and unmarried Californians.
Allocating funds for rental assistance and homelessness programs, such as housing vouchers, emergency and shallow rental subsidies, and fast rehousing initiatives, to guarantee that individuals may stay in their houses during hard times or swiftly get off the streets.
using programs like CalAIM housing assistance and California's Master Plan on Aging to further enhance the state's aging network and endeavors to link the housing and healthcare systems.
defending tenants by increasing, maintaining, and financing eviction and legal assistance measures. Legislators may strive to create a California where everyone has a secure place to live and where being homeless is an uncommon and short experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment