May 1, 2026

Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, Fellow PRSA – Serving Seniors

Point In Time Count Results Pinpoint Solutions

To Address Older Adult Homelessness

Serving Seniors, a San Diego based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving low-income and homeless adults, issued an urgent call for attention to specific solutions to address the needs unique to the older adult homeless population, identified among the growth in homelessness reported in the newly released 2026 Point in Time Count (PITC) data today by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH).

One-third (33%) of unsheltered individuals counted in San Diego County were age 55 and older, up from 29% in 2025.

The number of sheltered homeless older adults decreased slightly (24% in 2025 to 23% in 2026). This may also speak to the need for more age-friendly shelters and to provide shelters with the resources to care for older adults. While more shelter beds have been added in the last year, there needs to be an emphasis on providing space to accommodate older adults.

More than half (52%) of the unsheltered older adults surveyed in the 2026 PITC Report reported experiencing homelessness for the first time, an increase of 4% from 2025.

Serving Seniors President & CEO Melinda Forstey says the trend continues to show an increasing impact from homelessness on San Diego County’s older adults.

“While it is encouraging to see that overall homelessness has declined, the continued rise in homelessness among older adults is deeply concerning,” said Forstey. “Older adults now make up one third of the region’s population experiencing homelessness.

“This number would be even higher without Serving Seniors opening 174 units of new supportive senior housing in the past 12 months and increasing the number of older adults receiving shallow rental subsidies from 40 to 60 people,” noted Forstey.

The report identifies internal trends demonstrating the changing nature of older adult homelessness. Increasingly, this population is composed of more women than men, with more seniors living in vehicles.

Trends Signals A Call To Action

The continuing trend reinforces information first reported in the 2021 Serving Seniors Needs Assessment.

“Every number in the Point in Time Count is a real person: somebody’s grandparent or parent, neighbor, or former co-worker who once contributed to society and now finds themselves without a safe place to call home,” said Forstey.

“As we see from the first time experiencing homelessness figures, the overwhelming cause of older adult homelessness is due to economic hardship such as the loss of a spouse, a job, a medical crisis, and rising rents that outpace fixed incomes.

“The average Social Security check is just $1,200 per month,” explained Forstey. “Imagine having to pay your rent, groceries, and medical from this alone and anyone can see how easy it is to fall behind and lose housing. Serving Seniors can help by providing meals and lowering grocery costs, but housing is the long term solution.”

Focus on Prevention and Housing Effective In Solving Older Adult Homelessness

Proven prevention strategies like shallow rental subsidies, one-time emergency assistance, and family reunification programs have helped stabilize housing for older adults. These programs work. Shallow rental subsidy pilot programs offered on a limited basis by the City of San Diego and County of San Diego are effective and cost-efficient.

In addition to scaling up these safety net and prevention programs, shelter systems must adjust to meet the needs of an aging population. Age-friendly shelters address mobility, health conditions, and safety, which are essential to providing dignified, appropriate care.

Serving Seniors urges elected and community leaders to implement proven, cost-effect prevention measures to prevent older adults from losing housing including shallow rental subsidy programs and one-time diversion funding.

Often, a single bridge payment can provide a safety net to an older adult on the brink of eviction due to job loss, death of a spouse, or a medical emergency, allowing them to stay in their current homes.

The long-term solution is to lower the cost of building affordable housing and streamlining the timeline for approvals and construction to make more options available.

From a taxpayer perspective, shallow rental subsidies and other supportive programs are the most cost-effective and efficient way to help people struggling to avoid homelessness. From a humanitarian standpoint, Serving Seniors sees these efforts as a must.

About Serving Seniors

Founded in 1970, Serving Seniors is a San Diego based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving low-income and homeless adults aged 60 and over. Serving Seniors is a recognized national authority on older adult homelessness. Its innovative service model offers comprehensive support including nutritious meals, housing, health and social services to thousands of seniors in need. It is the largest provider of meals to older adults in the San Diego region at 1.5 million meals annually. Read Serving Seniors’ groundbreaking report, Senior Homelessness: A Needs Assessment.