SERVING SENIORS’ SENIOR HOMELESSNESS & HOUSING INITATIVE - STATUS UPDATE

Improving the lives of seniors experiencing or at-risk of homelessness is a top priority for Serving Seniors. In July 2020, thanks to a generous grant from the Hearst Foundation, Serving Seniors launched a local needs assessment to collect the insights and experiences of older adults and homeless service providers. 

Current Status of our Needs Assessment (as of August 2021)

  • December 2020 through January 2021:  Survey period for homeless service providers
  • February 2021 - March 2021:  Survey period for older adults currently experiencing homelessness, at-risk, or with lived experience.
  • July 2021 - August 2021: Analysis and Review 
  • September 2021: Report release 
  • Emerging themes:
    • A majority of older adults surveyed have lost their homes due to financial reasons - some of which were tied to catastrophic events
    • Older adults have specific needs around safety from violence and mobility when experiencing homelessness
    • Some experience age-discrimination when looking for work making it more difficult to reestablish housing
    • Many older adults who are not currently homeless are on the verge of homelessness and having to prioritize rent over medications, doctor’s visits, and food.

We are grateful for our incredible partners in this effort who are surveying their clients 55 years and older so we can improve the lives of low-income seniors together. We have a total of 18 sites engaged in the survey effort with the list growing each week.

For more details on Serving Seniors’ Senior Housing and Homelessness Initiative, click here.