Governments must do more for seniors facing homelessness

As President Donald Trump and Joe Biden continue their 2024 campaigns, Americans are asking tough questions about aging: What does it mean that all of the candidates are over 75 years old? How will the effects of aging affect their ability to perform their jobs?

Meanwhile, those on the front lines of America's homelessness crisis are confronting the issue of aging not from the perspective of those with power and connections, but from the perspective of those with the least protection.

Seniors are the fastest-growing age group of people experiencing homelessness. The most recent federal data shows that more than 138,000 adults age 55 and older were experiencing homelessness on any given night in 2023. Nearly half of them were living on the streets or in places unfit for human habitation.

As a society, this change should force us all to rethink our assumptions about who becomes homeless and why.

Stereotypes and misinformation are pernicious forces working against efforts to end homelessness. Despite clear evidence that a protracted affordable housing crisis nationwide is the primary cause of homelessness, many find it easier to accept simplistic narratives about addiction and mental illness. Despite evidence that the nation’s social security net is not serving the nation’s most vulnerable people well, we cling to the narrative that individual decisions cause homelessness. Our country has a history of racist housing policies, yet many deny the fact that racial inequality causes homelessness disproportionately for Black and Brown people.

How do we reconcile these stereotypes with the growing number of homeless older people whom we should respect and protect?

First, we must understand their experiences.

On one side, we have a population of people aging on the streets, who cycle in and out of homelessness for years, struggling to gain stable employment and housing, their experiences causing them to age prematurely and develop chronic diseases that often go untreated and lead to medical crises.

But there is an equally worrying trend of people becoming homeless for the first time in older age.

Many have been financially and housing insecure their whole lives. Some have lost partners or spouses and lack the income they need. Others have been driven to financial ruin by medical bills, financial fraud, bad lending, and the soaring costs of meeting their most basic needs. They are all suffering the effects of weakened Social Security and an unaffordable rental market.

Unfortunately, their public benefits are not enough today. Social Security benefits increased by 8.7% in 2022, but over the past 30 years, increases have rarely exceeded 3%. Similarly, Supplemental Social Security Income has lagged far behind the cost of living, providing an average benefit of only $552.29 in 2023. Meanwhile, health care costs are forcing low-income Medicare patients to spend much of their limited income on premiums and other expenses.

And of course, housing costs have been rising for decades. Those costs have been hit especially hard since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving seniors with fewer affordable homes to rent and less income to pay rent. A new analysis confirms that the nation is short 7.3 million affordable housing units for the lowest-income renters.

Without immediate action, these forces will continue to push older adults into a homeless system that cannot adequately care for them. Fortunately, our leaders can take action.

As a first step, Congress must ensure that all seniors have a place to live and the supports they need as they age. The best investment Congress can make is to expand the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8 Housing) program, which currently covers only about a quarter of people who need housing assistance. Similarly, investing in rental assistance programs would help seniors (and other low-income Americans) stay in their homes.

Similarly, federal leaders should strengthen support for housing programs for seniors. Critical programs include the Section 202 Senior Supportive Housing Program, the USDA 515 Rural Rental Housing Program, and the Section 811 Disability Supportive Housing Program. These programs have not been consistently supported in recent federal budgets. All of them will need strong funding going forward if we are to halt senior homelessness.

The effort would be more successful if federal leaders also supported programs that address poverty rates among seniors and provide at-home supports, such as home- and community-based services.

Unfortunately, stemming the tide is not enough. Leaders must also commit resources to ensure that homeless systems are responsive to the needs of our aging population. This includes investing in nursing home facilities and long-term, respite, and residential care. Medicaid expansion states are well positioned to fund these efforts. We must also support states that develop or expand housing-related supports and services for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities and older adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Regardless of who wins the 2024 presidential election, we can be sure that everyone will have access to comfortable housing. Without urgent action, our country cannot provide that guarantee to Americans of a similar age.

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