But, despite the “gloomy outlook” the issue is being addressed
WASHINGTON, DC – It’s been widely reported that 10,000 American seniors turn 65 each and every day and that this rapid pace of aging will continue until 2029. And now, Harvard University tells us that more than half of U.S. households are headed by individuals who are over 50 and that a growing number of them have difficulty meeting their housing costs, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].
A report recently released by Harvard’s Joint Center For Housing Studies [Housing America’s Older Adults- 2018] concludes that “whether they own or rent, millions of older households struggle to pay for their housing and other basic necessities, and their numbers are rising. Householders in their 50s to mid-60s are especially at risk of having insufficient resources to manage rising healthcare and housing costs in their later years.”
There is indeed a serious shortage of low income housing in the U.S. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that currently there is a nationwide shortage of 7.2 million low income rental homes.
AMAC president Dan Weber notes that the lack of affordable housing is a principal cause of homelessness, which is on the rise among the elderly. The statistics show that individuals age 62 and older experiencing so-called sheltered homelessness soared by more than 48% between 2007 and 2016.
Weber says, “Aging on the streets, if left unchecked, may reach epidemic proportions in the coming decades.” He cites the Homeless Research Institute, which has projected that the population of seniors who are homeless could increase from 44,000 in 2010 to 95,000 by the year 2050. But, he adds that despite the “gloomy outlook” the issue is being addressed.
Nan Roman, President and CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, recently put it this way in a report issued just last month: ““Those working on the front lines of the homelessness system are actually getting more people back into housing every year. The increases of the past two years aren’t because the homelessness system isn’t effective; they are because more people are coming into the system than ever, and there are fewer homes to put them into.
Nonetheless, the fact that so many communities continue to reduce the number of homeless people is proof that with greater federal and local investments and a bigger commitment to affordable housing, the rest of the nation can do the same.”
Roman points out that there was a decline in the numbers of homeless individuals and families in 31 states and the District of Columbia
ABOUT AMAC
The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at https://amac.us/join-amac.
Coming from a poor family, it is truly hard for me when the government gets into the housing market and provides homes for the poor when I lived in a shack, but my father was a proud man who was hurt on the job and picked up a pencil to make a living with an 8th grade education….he totally refused any help. Now, it seems that the taxpayers of America are taxed to the hilt and expected to feed, clothe and house the poor. Some of the poor truly need help, but there are many who play the system and a lot of them are the younger millennial “give me” generation…..plus, some imbecilic moron decided to reward the criminal illegal aliens with welfare and allow any baby to be a citizen that is dropped on American soil. If Congressional Democrappers would give us the money to build the wall and start deportation and stop the freebies to these people, fine any employer $25,000 for every illegal alien they have working for them, and make anyone applying for or renewing a driver’s license provide either a birth certificate or their green papers to get their driver’s license, we could help them to decide to go elsewhere. We spend about 120 BILLION dollars a year on trespassing criminals….in one year we could fund the 23 billion for the wall and have enough left to build homes for our veterans living on the street, more mental facilities for help for the homeless on the streets, more kitchens to help feed the homeless that live on the street…I do not mind helping people get on their feet, and we owe our veterans, but I resent my tax dollar being spent on people who break our laws and come here illegally….when Americans break our laws, we get arrested, when these people break the law, they get rewarded. This insanity needs to stop…. a mental health facility for Congress should be the first one built because they have gone insane.
If government wasn’t so intrusive in everyone’s lives, the cost of living might be more reasonable. Then folks could afford to stay in their homes and make ends meet. Today a dollar doesn’t buy a dollar and it’s been getting worse every decade. How can anyone save for the future when taxes and living costs keep going up now? And I’m not talking about frivolous spending but on necessities! I’m not yet at retirement age but as much as I save, it looks like I’m never going to be able to stop working. Things are too expensive and healthcost is the top of the expensive category!!!!! Thanks for letting me rant!
i WISH THIS WRITER HAD EXPLORED THIS ISSUE MORE DEEPLY. I know that many are being over medicated with increasingly expensive drugs, that sometimes result in addictions. unfortunately when addiction is the root cause there is no $ left over for housing and other what are normally considered to be necessities.
OK AMAC, starting to question your allegiance. Where were these stories when Obama was in office? Where are the stories of the failed
and Defecated (literally) towns in California. Where are the stories of Chicago shootouts? or Baltimore, Newark etc?
Same old story, A Republican is in office so out comes the stories of the homeless and the “uncaring evil” republicans.
I do not believe will be “re-uping” my subscription here. I can get this “tripe” anywhere.
The elderly need to adopt illegal children so we can receive free everything. Instead of the young trying to kill us off as just being a burden on society we can educate our children to be conservative, “Make American Great Thinkers”.
Plus we all need to start getting into shape again instead of being weak looking and vulnerable. Eating Sugar and processed foods are death and making us obese and sickly. Most times you can get off all your medications by loosing weight, exercising and eating a healthy diet. Look strong, be strong and defend yourself!
The second ammendment is especially for us!! Lean and mean should be our motto!!
Problem Solved,
Michael Farinacci
CEO
Sad ? But the government will take care of ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS with a smile and a hug. But kick the elderly and Veterans to the curb.
Does that number include veterans who are homeless?
While I was coaching athletics, I used to ask why are we either winning or losing and the answer invariably came down to basics. When we followed the basics we were winning and when we didn’t we weren’t. Maybe just maybe we need to do the same thing as it relates to life. So here is the question, why? What makes some people successful and others not? However, we will continue to have these questions until we start with why is this happening; now I know there are many many reasons but we need to define them first so we can then start with number 1 to fix them. Just throwing money on the problem will not solve the problem. changing the rules of the game doesn’t fix the problem, it just kicks the can further down the road so as to allow for more excuses. as a financial coach, my job to help my clients not lose, therefore, win.
Build the “Fence”, export the illegals including their children and save the real American tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars every year!!
DEMOCRATS STEAL FROM EVERYONE. WHERE IS IT DEMOCRATS ? YOU AND YOUR KIND STOLE FROM SSI FOR OVER 40 YEARS. WHERE IS MY RETRO ACTIVE SSI PAYMENT ? YOU STOLE MY 3% SS INCREASE THE ONLY 3 TIMES IT HAS BEEN DONE WHILE RAISING TAXES / EXPENSES ON EVERYONE, AND YOU DARE SPEAK OF YOURSELVES NOT BEING ABLE TO LIVE ON YOUR $174.000 SALARIES. YOU PARASITE B******* LIKE BERNIE SANDERS WANT A PAY RAISE ? YOU ARE EXCELLENT TEACHERS OF HATE. YOU DEMOCRATS HAVE TAUGHT ME TO HATE YOU.
WE AS AMERICANS DO NOTHING TO HELP THESE SENIORS IN HARD TIMES BUT THE DEMOCRACTS AND HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES WANT TO GIVE OUR TAX MONEY TO ALL THE ILLEGALS . COMING TO THE STATES AND SET THEM UP IN HOUSING AND GIVE THEM AN ALLOWANCE FOR BEING IN OUR COUNTRY ILLEGAL.SHAME ON THEM! GOD BE WITH US !
a society used to be judged by the way it treated the elderly and children. WHAT HAPPENED? the answer is that ILLEGAL ALIENS are now more important!
We the people are the problem so long as we continue to accept representatives from either party who only represent their own interests we must demand better representation. The school taxes come to mind first, homeowners get to pay a disproportionate amount of taxes compared to all citizens. Why should we pay for illegal children. School taxes should be based on income, not property ownership. And everyone should pay income taxes, not just half of the people. We have already destroyed the republic, the democracy is next. Wake up!
I’m 71 this country gives you all the chances to get it right before you retire. The problem is most who have nothing when they retire is because of their own fault. Through the years I have seen how a lot of people save nothing an wasted their money on stupid things. I just barely made it out of High school started working in a factory then drove a truck an when my company closed I worked as a custodian maintenance person. I saved got a small pension, had a 401and saved some money. I had my house an car paid for when I retired with my SSA check I think I live comfortable. I had medical bills and house expenses like everybody else with a wife with cancer and two kids I sent to college and paid for. But when I needed some extra money I did a second job or painted or roof somebody’s house on my vacation time. The biggest problem I see is that people are not responsible and think the government should take care of them when they retire. People have no pride and think the government owes them something.I know some people have real disabilities and sometimes great hardships but in my opinion most have the lead disease, lead in their ass.
We are 67 and 63 respectively. We only get our Social Security as income. We used to get a whopping $16.00 a month in SNAP/Food Stamps. I finally gave them up because I just could not deal with the paperwork required. We are part of the HUD/VASH program for housing, and even so we can barely make it. Why our government gives millions to “illegals” is a travesty. If we have any unusual expense we are sunk. Right now we are needing repairs on or 2004 car, so it will pass inspection. Then we renew our car insurance. All toll, about $500.00 to $1,000. We get $1500.00 a month from Social Security. Tell me how we do this? We get by b y the Grace of our Lord.
Government regulations and underlying real estate costs are huge and getting bigger by the day. So what is the solution for homelessness. The working middle class pays through the nose to support other people and have little savings left after they pay these huge costs and try to raise 1.7 children. The falling birth rate is also about strapping the hardworking middle class.
The government should stay out of this. My hometown had a homeless shelter operated by several churches including my church. Then the gov’t got all these regulations. The gov’t required the center to build a new center that will meet their requirement. Applied for grants, but gov’t requirement have to be met. The gov’t cut the amount of grant and the shelter finally closed.
Here in another city (state) I visited, there is a homeless shelter and is supported by several churches. They are building a bigger shelter and hope it will work out for them. Too many regulations by fed gov’t can really cause problems for private charity.
well,you can either give financial assistance to seniors who worked and supported the GOVERNMENT all their lives
or you can give free money to ILLEGAL ALIENS-but NOT both.
We know who the DEMOCRAT/SOCIALISTS have chosen
I truly believe that. And it’s a shame !! One thing is that Social Security was meant for Seniors. But now it’s for everything that moves anymore. The DumoCrats want to give it to illegals too. Stupid DumoCrats !!! If it’s left up to them, they will, just like killing babies. They soon will be killing Seniors !! Life means nothing to the DumoCrats, oh and let’s not forget the Rinos either. I’m in my early 60’s and I like many, will have to work till I drop. Because I will not be able to survive on just Social Security. I’m thankful I’m healthy. But many aren’t and it is a total shame. Thank God we are in the End Times !! Because the Devil Worshiping DumoCrats, will get their just rewards !!!
Yep, screw the tax paying public and take care of the wet backs.
My husband and I are 77 and 75 and have been blessed because we worked on jobs long enough to get retirement plans and a somewhat savings, which retirement plans were three-quarters lost several years ago in the stock market. We sold our home when we retired and bought a 40′ 5th wheel and have been able to travel the beautiful USA by being very frugal and we are happy and have been enjoying our retirement years. We have now decided it is time to get off the road and have looked into senior apartment living in Arizona for low cost housing which has community activities. We have found several beautiful places, not low cost, much to expensive for us, and we have found a “pay based on income” senior apartments, even newer ones which are very clean and nice, are full. We are on a waiting list but have found that our place in line has been going backward instead of forward toward an apartment because even lower income individuals than ourselves are being accepted ahead of us. We are going backward “in line” instead of having the opportunity to get into a place we can afford. We were also told it would take one to one and a half years to get into a place because of the availability . There are not enough of these beautiful places available to seniors where we can pay based on our income. Fortunately, we still have our “home on wheels” which is very nice and comfortable, but everyone knows the are hard to keep up in ones older years. We are blessed and are enjoying good health and are still active seniors and can plan ahead and hope for a senior apartment within the one to one and a half years.
And I’ll bet a disproportionate number of them are widowed. We do a horrible job, as a society, of caring for our widows. The notion of merry wealthy widows is a myth. Many are left in dire financial straits for a whole host of reasons, from poor planning to vulture relatives to online scammers who prey upon the emotionally vulnerable.
I applaud AMAC because unlike many other entities they are at least trying to come up with solutions to the elderly as well as the general homeless situation. It is a proven fact “you give for free” and the expectation is give me more. ( I have not done anything to “earn” this compensation but since you have already given me all these free things I want more”). The other item on my list is; STOP the ANCHOR baby law. I could not have my babies for free. I could not get all my medical for free. Why is it we as a government give all this to people who come into our country illegally Also for G’s sake get the demo’s to do the RIGHT thing and HELP get the boarder secured ie; build the wall and be done with the political wrangling. Building walls has been successful in other countries. WHY NOT OURS.
I am a homeless Senior, American VETERAN. I have a lot to say!!!!!!!! I and my Hubby now live in our motor home. We are like fugitives as motor homes are targeted, discriminated against, and harassed by the police “enforcing” the city’s (more like citIES’) ordinances against them. There is no rest for the old and weary. Our mo-home is too old for the motor home parks who require they be 10 years or newer. We are non-dopers, non drinkers, well-behaved, quiet and clean up after ourselves and others. We are always helping others as well. We thought we could be this way for a few months and then move up. We had no idea thst motor homes/R V’s were so discriminated against and unwelcome. This is a very expensive, money-eating lifestyle.