Homelessness

On an average night in 2023, more than 650,000 adults and children in the United States experienced homelessness. Adults experiencing homelessness are more likely to be veterans, have a physical or mental illness, and need services in addition to housing. They include a significant number of older adults, who are less likely than younger people to survive exposure to the severe weather conditions and unsafe and unsanitary conditions that many people experiencing homelessness must endure. This can exacerbate health problems that accompany aging. According to AARP/Statista analysis of Census Bureau data, an estimated 187,148 older adults age 55 and older are expected to experience homelessness in 2025. And the number of older adults who experience homelessness is expected to rise.

Older adults with unaddressed housing needs have few options for shelter. Sometimes, they must choose between homelessness and placement in a nursing home because funding is limited to nursing home care (see also Quality in Skilled-Nursing Facilities).

Homelessness, especially when chronic, can contribute to a decline in physical and mental health. This is due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions as well as a lack of adequate medical monitoring and access to treatment.

Many factors contribute to homelessness, including unemployment, poverty, chronic mental or physical health problems, and lack of affordable housing. Efforts to reduce homelessness are more widespread. However, households with low incomes and those with high housing-cost burdens are still at risk of experiencing homelessness should their financial conditions worsen. Therefore, maintaining a supply of affordable and adequate housing, along with supportive services, can help families mitigate the risk of homelessness. By providing access to these housing options quickly, individuals experiencing homelessness can gain safe housing accompanied by services that can address their needs.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides funding to support the response to homelessness via the Continuum of Care program. This program is designed to promote a community-wide commitment to ending homelessness. Typically, state and local governments, along with nonprofits and other stakeholders, collaborate to establish a comprehensive homeless response system with multiple housing options. The goal is to quickly provide housing and services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. These housing options can include emergency shelters, transitional housing, rapid rehousing programs, and supportive housing.

Supportive housing combines affordable units with services specifically targeted to an individual’s physical, mental, and social needs. These units can be made permanently available to individuals, providing them with long-term stability. For older adults, services are provided that meet age-specific needs, such as help with activities of daily living or placement in an accessible home that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and includes universal design features to aid mobility (see also Housing Accessibility).