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
Our Research
Loneliness Among Homeless-Experienced Older Adults With Cognitive or Functional Impairments: Qualitative Findings From the HOPE HOME Study
BMC Public Health
February 22, 2024
Our Research
Loneliness Among Homeless-Experienced Older Adults With Cognitive or Functional Impairments: Qualitative Findings From the HOPE HOME Study
BMC Public Health
February 22, 2024
Loneliness is often more common in older adults and those who face structural vulnerabilities, including those who experience homelessness. In the United States, 48% of single homeless adults are 50 and older. There is a limited information about loneliness among older adults who have experienced homelessness. This study used qualitative data collected as part of a longitudinal mixed-methods study, Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age (HOPE HOME). The study aimed to examine the intersection between social isolation, functional and cognitive impairment, and use of supportive services among a cohort of older adults experiencing homelessness in Oakland, California. Researchers found that homeless-experienced older adults with cognitive or functional impairments exhibited diverse loneliness experiences.
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Videos
Webinar: Aging, Health, & Homelessness: Findings from CASPEH and HOPE HOME
December 13, 2023
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Half of people experiencing homelessness are older than 50, and almost half of older homeless adults became homeless for the first time after they turned 50. This webinar is about the causes and consequences of homelessness in late life. Margot Kushel, MD, and other BHHI presenters will discuss findings from the Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age (HOPE HOME) project—a longitudinal cohort study following older adults experiencing homelessness in Oakland, CA, and the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (CASPEH)—the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s.
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News
Millions of Seniors Struggle To Afford Housing — And It’s About To Get a Lot Worse
NPR All Things Considered
November 30, 2023
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News
Millions of Seniors Struggle To Afford Housing — And It’s About To Get a Lot Worse
NPR All Things Considered
November 30, 2023
A record number of seniors are burdened by high housing costs. A new report from University's Joint Center for Housing Studies sounds the alarm as the US population ages rapidly. The number of seniors who will qualify for federal housing subsidies will continue to grow. The report also notes that more people over the age of 50 are losing housing for the first time. Margot Kushel, MD, director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, said, "Increasingly, the story of homelessness among adults is going to be older adults living in poverty, who are spending what should be their retirement years in the streets."
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