Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Goals: Assess needs Identify barriers Produce action plan Overview

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Product: A Strategic Plan to House Homeless Older Adults in Los Angeles Guides policy Informs stakeholders Stimulates development Overview

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Advisory Committee: Developers Service providers Professors Government stakeholders Formerly homeless older adults Overview

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best practices Literature Los Angeles data Interview: Special needs developers Senior housing developers Government stakeholders Homeless older adults Review: Overview

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best Practices Mission Creek, San Francisco Mercy Housing mercyhousing.org

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best Practices Plaza Hotel, San Francisco Community Development Corporation

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best Practices Potiker Family Senior Residence Senior Community Centers, San Diego servingseniors.org

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best Practices Euclid House, New York City West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Best Practices Euclid House, New York City West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Woodstock Hotel, New York City Project FIND projectfind.org Best Practices

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Population Physical health Mental health Substance use Gender Age Model solutions Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Population: Large aging cohort Boomers Many risk factors Population will double Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Physical Health: Chronic health issues Physical health of those 15 years older Exacerbated by homelessness Interrelated Emergency rooms as primary care Survivor effect Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Mental Health: Far greater proportions than those housed 33% clinically depressed Discharge often leads to homelessness Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Literature Review Substance Use: Over 50% with chronic alcohol problems Drug use higher as those who started using in 1960 reach old age Adept at concealing

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Gender: Female:male ratio 30:70 Women 1st homeless late in life Women have more thought disturbances & less depression Women drink less Women fear shelters more Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Age: More likely to abuse alcohol Stay in shelters longer Take longer to move to permanent housing Literature Review

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Literature Review Model Solutions: Affordable housing with services HEARTH (most often cited)

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Strategic Plan will include data from: LA Homeless Services Authority LA County welfare agency LA County Department of Mental Health New Image Shelter Los Angeles Data

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Largest Year-Round Shelter in Los Angeles County Open from evening to morning Two meals per day Some services New Image Shelter 1500 clients 50 years and older Los Angeles Data

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Age Income Gender Disability Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter Client Self-Reported Education Duration homeless Reason Homeless Veterans

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Age Income Gender Disability Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter Client Self-Reported Education Duration homeless Reason Homeless Veterans

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Mean age57 (Same for men and women) Median age55 (Same for men and women) Youngest age50 Oldest age91 Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter 1500 clients 50 years and older

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter Time HomelessNew Image 50 years and older 1 day - 1 month 34% 1 month - 6 months 21% 7 months - 12 months 7% More than 12 months 31%

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter & Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Time HomelessNew ImageLAHSA 50 years and olderAll homeless 1 day - 1 month 34%10% 1 month - 6 months 21%28% 7 months - 12 months 7%10% More than 12 months 31%15%

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter 1500 clients 50 years and older None33 SSI18 Social Security13 SSDI6 SDI1 County General Relief ($221)18 Work4 VA Pension3 Other Pension1 TANF/AFDC<1 Unemployment<1 Private Disability<1 Other3 Percentages: Income Source at Entry One third have income from Social Security, SSI, or disability insurance Some clients have multiple sources

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Mean income$ 660 Median income$ % 62+ get Social Security or SSI Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter: clients 50 years and older reporting income

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Los Angeles Data New Image Shelter clients 50 years and older reporting a disability Physical disability62% Mental disability27% Both disabilities11%

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Respondents Respondent Type Number of Respondents Number of Units for Older Adults Special Needs Developer 1018,000 Senior Housing Developer 710,800 Developers’ Observations

2. No developer or housing provider targeted homeless older adults. Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Developers’ Observations 1.The number one barrier to creating permanent housing for homeless older adults is funding. 3. After an acclimation period of 6 months, previous homeless status was not a major distinguishing difference among tenants.

4. The common problems hampering successful long- term tenancies are: Hoarding Clutter Anti-social behavior Need for health services Isolation Denial Inability to live alone Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Developers’ Observations

5. Regulations do not allow for tenants aging-in- place to keep their units when they have long- term stays in hospitals or convalescent facilities. 6.Small units, both one bedrooms and SROs, are too small to accommodate live-in aides and wheelchair accessibility for tenants aging-in- place. Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Developers’ Observations

7. The most important tenant service is case management/social work/RSC Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Developers’ Observations 8. Eligibility and Application updating processes prevented the homeless form securing housing.

Immediate response and change in policy: Menorah Housing Foundation Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Developers’ Observations

Shelter Partnership Homeless Older Adults Strategic Plan Funded by California Community Foundation & Corporation for Supportive Housing

Shelter Partnership Los Angeles For a copy of the Strategic Plan, to be released late 2007, Steve Renahan, Consultant