California Elder Justice Coalition (CEJC)
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       Preventing Elder
​         Homelessness

Studies show that nearly 50% of the homeless population is over the age of 50 (the threshold for advanced age used by many researchers, which reflects the fact that homeless people experience age-related disabilities at an earlier than average age). The report notes that:
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  • Housing is Health. Homelessness is directly correlated with poor health.
  • Older adults of color are at significantly higher risk for homelessness.
  • Financial factors surpass mental health problems and substance abuse in significance as risk factors for homelessness.
  • Homelessness is often associated with elder abuse, most notably: financial abuse, predatory lending, and illegal evictions.
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Reports

​New FOIA Response from HUD Reveals 646% Increase in Foreclosures against Seniors in 2016
This report by the California Reinvestment Coalition calls for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to do more to protect older adults from needless foreclosures.
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Hepatitis: An Outbreak in California — Addressing the Root Cause
This article in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Margot Kushel describes an outbreak of Hepatitis A among the homeless in California and provides general information about elder homelessness.
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"Financial factors surpass mental health problems and substance abuse in significance as risk factors for homelessness."
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Post Hospital Respite Program Gives Frail Homeless Elders Safe Place to Recover
This article, which appeared in the American Society on Aging's journal, Generations, describes an Oakland California program that assists homeless older adult patients after discharge.

Homelessness Among Elderly Persons
Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless. “When thinking about homelessness, the elderly people issue doesn’t immediately come to our mind. Homeless elders, although increasing in numbers, continue to be a forgotten population.”… “Among this growing population of older adults living in poverty are people forced to grow old in the streets and in shelters, elderly persons who have recently become homeless or who remain at constant risk of losing housing.”

Aging on the Streets: America’s Growing Older Homeless Population
From the Simmons School of Social Work. “People 50 and older make up more than 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population. The advanced age of this country’s homeless requires us to revisit and adapt outdated government assistance programs External link  that were designed to address the needs of a much younger group and fail to account for medical, social, and emotional needs that emerge later in life.”

Meeting the Housing and Care Needs of Older Homeless Adults: A Permanent Supportive Housing Program Targeting Homeless Elders
From the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. “The homeless population is aging faster than the general population in the United States. As this vulnerable population continues to age, addressing complex care and housing needs will become increasingly important. This article reviews the often-overlooked issue of homelessness among older adults, including their poor health status and unique care needs, the factors that contribute to homelessness in this population, and the costs of homelessness to the U.S. health care system.

Old and on the Street: The Graying of America’s Homeless
From the New York Times. “The emergence of an older homeless population is creating daunting challenges for social service agencies and governments already struggling to fight poverty.”

Housing and Homelessness Services and Partnerships to Address a Growing Issue
This report by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging describes how Area Agencies on Aging are responding to homelessness and housing needs through programs and partnerships.

Permanent Supportive Housing for Homeless People — Reframing the Debate
This article, which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, considers (and reconsiders) current thinking about Permanent Supportive Housing.​

The Impact of Homelessness Prevention Programs on Homelessness  
Findings of an evaluation of a Chicago program that provides temporary financial assistance to avoid homelessness. The researchers found that one-time payments of up to $1500 greatly reduce the likelihood of homelessness.

The following articles were written for general audiences (rather than academic papers):
  • Why there are so many unsheltered homeless people on the West Coast
  • How the homeless population is changing: it’s older and sicker

Resources

"More than three-quarters of the state’s low-income elderly struggle to pay rent, with 56% paying more than half of their monthly income and 23% paying more than 30%"
Homelessness in Older Adults: Examining the Layers curriculum. Effectively Working APS Cases with Persons Experiencing Homelessness.Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI).

Racial Equity and Homelessness.National Alliance to End Homelessness Toolkits and Training. 

CEJC Advocates Academy Webinar Recording: Homelessness in Older Adults
This webinar featured Dr. Margot Kushel, who described her cutting edge research on elder homelessness and preventative interventions, and  Ali Sutton of the California Department of Social Services, who is responsible for implementing California's Home Safe project, which is being carried out by APS programs.


Homelessness in Older Adults: An Emerging Crisis
This slide presentation by noted aging homelessness expert Dr. Margot Kushel, describes the findings of the Hope Home (Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Ages) study. The Hope Home project was conducted in Oakland California and the report describes general trends in elder homelessness that address homelessness in other states or that are applicable to them.

More Than Three-Quarters of Low-Income Older California Tenants are Rent Burdened
This fact sheet draws from research by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, which suggests:
  • More than half of low income older Californians face a “severe rent burden.”
  • More than three-quarters of the state’s low income elderly struggle to pay rent, with 56% paying more than half of their monthly income and 23% paying more than 30%.
  • When rents increase, those on fixed incomes can be forced to move far from social ties and familiar services in order to find affordable housing.
  • Older Californians with limited incomes struggle to pay for shelter, food, medical care and other basic necessities.
  • The Sacramento region has the highest rent burden for older residents, followed by the San Joaquin Valley and L.A. County.

Building a Movement to End Homelessness/Elder Homelessness
This website of the National Coalition for the Homeless provides basic information about the problem, its causes, what's needed to prevent it, and what advocates can do. In particular, it calls for raising awareness among federal, state, and local authorities, as well as nonprofit service providers, have to be made aware of the specific needs and challenges faced by older adults and elderly persons who are homeless.

How to Prevent and End Homelessness Among Older Adults
This fact sheet produced by Justice In Aging describes in detail, key causes of elder homelessness, including housing costs, stagnant wages, high health care costs, and the loss of pensions. It further describes special challenges and factors exacerbating the problem, including premature aging, crime, disability, and barriers to access to services and benefits.
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The SPRiNG Alliance 
The Spring Alliance is a national network of elder abuse shelters and communities that are in the process of developing elder shelters. It was created to share  resources and technical assistance and to provide support. Experts work with community stakeholders to adapt its shelter model to local needs and resources at every stage of the shelter development 
process.

Promising Practices

“Home Safe": California Homeless Prevention Pilot Project 
This project, spearheaded by the California Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) and co-sponsored by CEJC and the California Commission on Aging, is a 3-year, $15 million demonstration grant program to enable Adult Protective Services (APS) programs to assist victims of elder abuse to avoid homelessness.  It was established under SB-840, the Budget Act of 2018. 
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San Diego PACE Partners to House Homeless Elders
Working with housing developer in San Diego, St. Paul’s PACE program provides wraparound housing and services for formerly homeless (or at risk of homelessness) older adults. PACE, a managed care social/medical program, finds the homeless seniors, qualifies them for PACE, and provides services to tenants who meet PACE eligibility criteria. The program was launched in 2013 when a housing developer approached PACE and offered the program units on the top floor of former hotel in exchange for providing services. The facility now serves 244 formerly homeless seniors. For more see San Diego PACE.
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Core Values
    • Our Supporters
    • Contact Us
  • Policy
    • 2022 Elder Justice Legislative Update
    • Advocacy
    • Policy Development
    • A*TEAM
  • Learn
    • Toolkits >
      • Adult Protective Services
      • Long Term Care Facilities
      • Undue Influence
      • Elder Homelessness
      • Financial Crime
      • Victims' Rights and Services
      • International
      • Opioid Crisis
      • Restorative Approaches to Elder Abuse
    • Webinars and Events
    • CEJC Publications >
      • 2023 Blueprint
    • Awareness Snapshots
    • Blog: Elder Justice Viewpoints
  • Join Us
    • Renew
    • Donate
  • NNSEJC
    • Who We Are
    • Joining NNSEJC
    • More On State/Tribal Coalitions