Alarming Spike in Elderly Homelessness across California
TL/DR –
The article discusses the growing issue of homelessness among elderly populations in California, where nearly 40% of adults needing shelter are aged 50 or above. The aging homeless population faces unique challenges, including health vulnerabilities, lack of access to affordable housing, and difficulties in securing economic resources. In order to address this crisis, the article suggests policy interventions such as increasing affordable rental housing options, expanding financial support, targeting rental assistance and homelessness services to this demographic, and strengthening aging network and programs that connect housing and healthcare systems.
California Homeless Crisis: Aging Population Requires Policy Attention
California’s rapidly aging homeless population, with adults over 50 making up nearly 40% of those needing shelter, requires urgent and targeted policy action. Without effective measures, the state risks a future with a growing number of unhoused older adults as its population ages.
Every Californian, irrespective of their age, ability, race, gender, or economic status, deserves affordable, dignified, and accessible housing. Yet, thousands of Californians, especially older adults over 50, keep falling into homelessness faster than they can be housed. In the fiscal year 2022-23, local California homeless service providers had contact with over 215,000 adults without children needing housing or other life-sustaining services. Nearly 40% of these were adults over 50, making them the fastest-growing population experiencing homelessness and the largest group facing homelessness for the first time.
To effectively address their housing needs and solve homelessness statewide, understanding the diverse characteristics, circumstances, and tailored interventions required for unhoused older Californians is crucial. The term “older adults” refers to individuals who are age 50 and over, acknowledging the increased physical and behavioral health vulnerabilities traditionally seen in older populations and requiring tailored interventions.
Older Californians: A Significant Share of the Unhoused Population
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, unhoused Californians over 50 made up 40% of adult-only households who came in contact with the homelessness response system. However, older adults only account for 34% of the state’s entire population. Research identifies two main cohorts driving the growth in older adult homelessness: those who became unhoused earlier in life, facing prolonged periods of homelessness, and individuals facing homelessness for the first time at an older age.
Many older Californians face prolonged economic hardship and receive inadequate wages, which prevents them from building savings or retirement accounts. This leads to economic insecurity among the older population, who often are ineligible for many cash-based safety net programs targeting people with children. These programs usually have minimal benefit amounts that are even lower for adults without dependents, further exacerbating the problem.
Racial Disparities in California’s Unhoused Older Adult Population
Racial disparities are evident in California’s unhoused older adult population, with Black, Indigenous, and Pacific Islander Californians disproportionately experiencing homelessness. Over 1 in 4 (26%) older adults who made contact with homeless service providers in 2022-23 were Black Californians, who make up only 5.4% of the state’s population. Additionally, indigenous individuals were almost six times as likely and Pacific Islanders twice as likely to come into contact with the homelessness response system. Separate data shows that homelessness increased among Latinx Californians across all age groups.
The racial disparities in California’s unhoused population reflect the enduring effects of intentional racist policies creating educational, housing, economic, and health barriers. These barriers directly affect individuals’ abilities to obtain and sustain stable housing, especially in later life. Racist institutional practices like redlining, government-sanctioned displacement, and predatory practices have made it harder for generations to secure housing and economic stability.
Most Unhoused Older Adults Have a Disabling Condition
Most older adults experiencing homelessness, 72% in the fiscal year 2022-23, reported a disabling condition. These conditions include physical, mental, or emotional impairments that significantly hinder an individual’s ability to live independently and can improve with housing. Many unhoused individuals experience health conditions and mobility limitations prematurely, often decades before housed adults of the same age. The striking differences highlight the detrimental health effects of experiencing homelessness on Californians’ lives, especially as they age.
Unhoused Californians face steep barriers to medical access, daily safety concerns, and often limited access to essential needs like consistent meals, proper medication storage, and sanitation. Many temporary homeless shelters are ill-equipped to accommodate older individuals with complex medical or mobility conditions, further exacerbating negative health outcomes. Higher mortality rates in unhoused populations compared to their housed counterparts reflects this reality.
Unhoused Older Adults’ Insufficient Income Sources
Most unhoused older adults who made contact with homeless service providers in 2022-23 reported having at least one source of income, with a median total monthly income of $1,000. However, this amount can barely cover fair market rent for a studio apartment in nearly 70% of the state’s counties, let alone other basic living expenses.
State and federal aids available to adults without children, low-income seniors, and people with disabilities often fail to cover the high cost of housing and other basic needs in California. This creates vulnerabilities that can lead to homelessness, as benefit amounts are insufficient and often have strict asset limits. In 2022, only 24 housing units were affordable and available for every 100 extremely low-income renter households, which older adults on fixed incomes often fall into.
High Housing Costs Fuelling Homelessness Among Older Californians
California’s acute shortage of affordable housing, leading to skyrocketing housing costs, is the primary factor pushing older adults into homelessness. Over half (52%) of all older adult California renters were housing cost-burdened in 2022, paying more than 30% of their total income in rent. Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) were severely cost-burdened, paying more than 50% of their income in rent. Older Black California renters faced the highest rates, with over 60% paying unaffordable housing costs.
The increased share of Californians of color in renter households reflects discriminatory policies that have perpetuated the racial wealth gap and limited access to housing and other opportunities. This leads to adverse outcomes in later life. High housing costs, which make up a significant portion of their income, leave older adult renters with fewer resources for essentials like transportation, medicine, and food. This precarious situation can be the tipping point into homelessness due to minor financial setbacks, medical expenses, or rent hikes.
Policymakers Can Ensure All Older Adults Have a Home
Older Californians are integral members of our communities who deserve access to affordable, accessible, and dignified housing. Understanding the unique housing, economic, and health conditions older unhoused adults face allows policymakers to act on proven policies and interventions to solve homelessness among older adults. These include expanding affordable rental housing and supportive housing, providing additional financial support, and directing resources for rental assistance and homelessness services. Policymakers can also harness efforts such as CalAIM housing supports and California’s Master Plan on Aging, strengthening California’s aging network and initiatives to connect housing and healthcare systems. Furthermore, protecting renters by expanding, enforcing, and funding legal aid and eviction protections is essential. With these interventions, policymakers can strive for a California where homeless episodes are brief and rare, and everyone has a safe and stable home.
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