Homelessness Among Boomers (divorce, divorced, social security, 2014)

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by Buckeye77

i'm in my late 70s, and being homeless would be a death sentence for me. Can't imagine that I would last more than a week or two. Plus, I flunked "Boy Scouts" and never liked the idea of camping out. I doubt if I'm a risk for being homeless, but stranger things have happened, and I've learned to "never say never".

The only good news is that I have several relatives that would take me in under dire circumstances, as I would do the same for them if the situations were reversed.

I remember being worried about my mom when she was in her 70's and her power would go off in her home for an extended time after a storm. And she was safe inside her home with running water, clean clothes, furniture, food and warm blankets. I can't imagine worrying about her sleeping outside or in a car.

At the same time, I find it unfathomable that a shelter wouldn't bump a younger, able bodied person up to a top bunk or even outside into a tent to give a senior citizen a bottom bunk in the climate controlled shelter to sleep in.

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by moguldreamer

The article I read was focusing on a relatively (within the past year) surge in brand-new homelessness among seniors who had never been homeless before. The anecdotes cited usually listed a precipitating event such as natural disaster destroying housing, death of a spouse, significant medical event, or dramatic increase in rent. The increases in rent frequently seemed to be a result of change in ownership of the dwelling (apartment complex or individual condominium) together with remodel/renewal and relisting of the unit at a significantly higher rate.

The article seemed to indicate that seniors expected their homelessness to be short term until they could find a unit, or scrape together the finances to rent another unit - but sometimes other events prevented them from amassing the necessary funds for rent.

With the exception of the couple (where the article said the guy was applying for disability, so presumably they'll have more money soon), note that all other people profiled in the article have actually found a home. Two of them have found a decent private home after couch surfing with friends for a while (never actually having slept outdoors). The veteran who lives in a group home has children who could conceivably help him, but he doesn't want to pursue that. So that confirms what I am saying: people of sound mind, if they find themselves homeless (all of them in the article not heeding the fact that the rents in the area were rising - likely due to renewed popularity of Florida with all sorts of people, notably ex-New Yorkers and ex-West Coasters - and not looking for somewhere else that they could afford), they will immediately start looking for solutions to homelessness; they will not stay homeless permanently.

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

The one lady in the article is 63 and she and her 55 year old boyfriend are both homeless. When they went to a shelter the only bunks available were top bunks and people over 60 are not allowed up on those top bunks. So, the woman and her boyfriend had to leave the shelter and wound up sleeping on a sidewalk and sharing one blanket between them.

I'd love to hear the shelter's version of events because that doesn't sound right at all.

I'm 63 and have never stayed at a homeless shelter, but I love staying at hostels. Some (rare) hostels will not accept anyone above the age of 27 or so, but if they have no age limit, they also do not have any age limit on upper bunks. In fact, I always request an upper bunk.

[1ondoner]

Bingo! Homelessness is usually a social rather than economic issue.

At the heart of it, homeless people can't live with others, cause they'd get a room. But since they can't get along or have proper relations, they end up in the streets because they don't have the finances to live in seclusion, away from others.

Originally Posted by thinkalot

I don't notice any seniors among our homeless population. I see 40 years old and younger. In my area it isn't a housing problem. It is a mental illness and drug problem.

However, on the news I will see some seniors. Maybe they search them out? They aren't the ones begging in the median or showering with your garden hose.

[elnrgby]

And I think the WSJ article should be read by everyone participating in the endless debate on this forum, whether seniors should own or rent their home. If you own it (at least a tiny condo, the smallest/cheapest you can afford), there is no chance of losing your housing out of nowhere (even for a natural disaster you can get some form of home insurance).

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

I'm 63 and have never stayed at a homeless shelter, but I love staying at hostels. Some (rare) hostels will not accept anyone above the age of 27 or so, but if they have no age limit, they also do not have any age limit on upper bunks. In fact, I always request an upper bunk.

I guess some of the shelters have a strict cut off age for the upper bunks due to liability reasons.

But, again, even if that is the case I can not imagine the shelter staff not bumping a 30 year old able bodied person on a lower bunk, up to the top bunk to make room for a person 60+. Somehow it's safer for the older person to sleep outside in the Florida heat? Who makes these rules?

I would like to hear the shelter's side of that story.

[otterhere]

People are homeless for one of three reasons, generally: mental illness, drug addiction, and/or criminal tendencies. I don't think those are any respecter of age.

[Sand&Salt]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

Bingo! Homelessness is usually a social rather than economic issue.

At the heart of it, homeless people can't live with others, cause they'd get a room. But since they can't get along or have proper relations, they end up in the streets because they don't have the finances to live in seclusion, away from others.

Bingo to you too. It must be a social issue primarily, because here in my adopted "poor" country (average income $400 a month), there is zero homelessness.

I don't see any mentally ill either, so not sure what happens to them. I guess the family deals with it, somehow!

[Clemencia53]

Originally Posted by Chas863

I don't personally know any homeless senior citizens (or homeless younger adults either), but if I go to certain parts of town, it's not difficult to find some who APPEAR to be senior citizens and perhaps homeless. Some might call them "bums" or "vagrants".

Here is what puzzles me about this. It is my understanding that in the US, if your income is below a certain level, then you qualify for all kinds of freebies from the state. For example free medical, food stamps, housing allowance, and other such things.

Perhaps you can tell me if this is true or not. If it is true, then why would ANYONE have an excuse for being homeless, hungry, and dirty? Perhaps a person wouldn't live like royalty, but if they are flat out BROKE and have no means of providing for themselves, then it's my understanding that the government (state) will provide them the basics. True or not?

I do not know of any homeless seniors in our small south texas mostly hispanic town. Now we do have lots of services here. Food pantries several times a month. A huge foodbank once a month. There is subsidized housing for seniors and disabled folks.

Transportation available for appointments.

And really most still have family members that tend to look after them also.

[N.Cal]

Having volunteered at one of the local homeless shelters, there are seniors out there, more women than men from what I have observed.