Aging
The number of Americans older than 65 will double in the next 40 years, reaching 80 million by 2040. Alongside this growth, many more older adults will need access to affordable and secure housing.
UCSF BHHI’s research on aging focuses on California’s older population, the housing supply available to older adults, affordability issues, the connection between housing, health, and public services, and the residential patterns of older homeless adults.
Related Resources
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News
For an Older Homeless Population, a New Type of Care
New York Times
June 10, 2024
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The aging of the homeless population is a stark demographic shift. Margot Kushel, MD, the director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, found that unhoused people have the health profiles of patients two decades older, with similar rates of incontinence, dementia, and falls. Respite care, a temporary, short-term, 24-hour supervised care for seniors, is rapidly growing for people experiencing homelessness, reflecting the aging of the unhoused population.
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News
CA Homeless Population Now Adults 50 and Over
Fox Los Angeles
June 3, 2024
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A recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on older adult homelessness found that nearly half of California's homeless population is now 50 and older. These older adults are staying homeless for longer and are in poorer health than their younger peers. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "These are people living on fixed incomes, on disability, on really meager pensions, and they really need housing that they can afford."
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Nearly Half of California’s Homeless People Are Over 50
Mercury News
June 2, 2024
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Among people experiencing homelessness in California, nearly half of the population is now over the age of 50. By 50, a homeless person’s health more closely resembles that of someone in their 70s, with a higher chance of chronic disease, mobility issues, and cognitive decline, according to a recent special report released by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative on older adult homelessness. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "We could meaningfully reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness if we focused on this group."
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