Home | Policy & Trends | Elderly American homelessness on the rise

Elderly American homelessness on the rise

04/13/2010 20:31:00 Kathlyn Stone

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New reports on homelessness offer some sobering predictions. Over 95,000 elderly Americans are projected to be homeless by 2050, according to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Homelessness among people 65 and older -- the U.S. Census Agency’s definition of the elderly -- is on track to increase 33 percent by 2020, and more than double by 2050, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH).

Part of the increase is due simply to the size of the aging population. The number of Americans now over the age of 65 is larger than ever before. In 1900, 3.1 million people (4.1 percent of the population) were elderly. In 2008 there were 37 million elderly (12.6 percent of the population) – a 1,100 percent increase from 1900.

The number of elderly will continue to climb. According to the NAEH, the elderly population will more than double in size between now and 2050.

The “baby boom” generation, those Americans born between 1946 and 1964, are coming into retirement age in a period of deeper poverty, higher rates of unemployment, and reduced social services than the generation before.

People become homeless for many reasons, almost all of them financial. A separate report on the homeless from the Wilder Foundation in Minnesota will be formally released next month. Wilder’s latest survey found that forty percent of homeless said they lost their last housing because of a job loss or reduction in hours; 39 percent of homeless adults left their last permanent housing because of eviction, foreclosure, or failure to have their lease renewed; and 44 percent of homeless adults are on a waiting list for public housing, up from 34 percent in 2006.

Wilder’s wait-list numbers are probably too low.

When contacted a few weeks ago about the numbers of subsidized public housing units in St. Paul, Minn., the Public Housing Authority staffer laughed, with a slight hysteria in her voice. There is no open subsidized public housing in the city, she said. The agency closed even its waiting list for new applicants a couple years ago.

Access “The Rising Elderly Population” report by M. William Sermons and Meghan Henry at the NAEH web site.

Read Wilder Research’s preliminary findings on homelessness in Minnesota

Chart: National Alliance to End Homelessness

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Comments (9 posted):

fitflops on 04/13/2010 21:49:57

America has gone through a great recession and so thousands of people have lost there jobs and some have even lost there house and came on the streets. Now those people don't even have anything to eat.

Sandy Sand on 04/15/2010 07:45:22

It's criminal that anyone in this country should be homeless, but for the elderly to be homeless, it is particularly heinous. Mostly these are people who did the best they could to keep life, limb and family together only to wind up losing everything in their old age. Imagine living under a bridge when you should be in a rocker on your front porch.

directory submission on 04/16/2010 01:28:13

Good new is that cities are using to develop central intake systems for homeless services, coordinate services more closely with surrounding areas, or offer homeless prevention assistance for the first time. Thats good sign to over come from the situation

Houston personal injury on 04/23/2010 06:39:05

Homelessness is beginning to increase among elderly people and this is not at all a good sign for the people and country.Why do Americans have to give elderly people such a chance, they should better find a way out of it.

r4i sdhc on 05/07/2010 05:00:00

Many small American cities are being hit hard by the current recession.Again American auto manufacturers have been particularly affected by the recession.central intake systems would be very helpful.I also heard that organizations across the country are banding together to aid those in need and greatly welcome any support offered.

Lanzarote holidays on 06/08/2010 05:21:37

That could be put in place for elderly persons with low needs and whether or not there are service-enriched strategies that need to be put in place for people with higher needs and we need to figure out just how many people are in those two categories.

dresses on 06/14/2010 20:34:20

Car Games on 06/22/2010 07:13:42

The threat of eviction cannot be taken so lightly instead both of the process is legally serious and should be taken care of as soon as possible.The purpose of public housing programs that is protecting vulnerable populations from homelessness should also be settles well as even they should be given equal rights and opportunities to stay healthy life.

Racing Games on 06/22/2010 08:50:35

America has gone through a great recession and so thousands of people have lost there jobs and some have even lost there house...