The 2025 Point-In-Time Count assessing homelessness in San Diego County bought mixed news. It was encouraging to see signs that overall homelessness has declined, especially among families and military veterans.
The continued rise in homelessness among older adults remains deeply concerning to us at Serving Seniors. Since the count last year, older adults are becoming homeless at a greater rate than the general population. People age 55 and older experiencing homelessness for the first time saw a 5% increase in the last year.
One in three individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness are 55 and older. It’s a troubling trend that should be seen as a call to action.
But there are reasons for optimism. We know there are effective solutions and proven prevention strategies. These programs work — but they need to be scaled and sustained.
It’s especially gratifying when members of our community step forward to help. On June 16, the Lucky Duck Foundation and the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation announced a total of $700,000 in ongoing support for the Seniors Safe At Home program.
Launched with an initial $500,000 investment from the Lucky Duck Foundation in September 2023, Seniors Safe at Home provides shallow rental subsidies to prevent at-risk older adults from losing housing. They are supported by case management including employment navigation if desired.
“It underscores that preventing homelessness before it begins is not only more humane, but also more cost-effective,” said Drew Moser, CEO of the Lucky Duck Foundation.
It takes compassion and commitment to step up and respond to the growing crisis of older adult homelessness. The leadership and generosity of both organizations will have a real and lasting impact on people’s lives.
We know that developing affordable housing is essential. But we also know that takes time, and frankly, too much time. The need is urgent, and the people need help now.
It’s worth repeating and reinforcing: the lion’s share of older adults experiencing homelessness find themselves facing this crisis due to a sudden life event. It can be job loss and the failure to find work as an older adult. It can be a rent increase stretching beyond the modest fixed income of a Social Security check. It can be an expensive medical emergency, or the death of a spouse.
But a modest investment through a shallow rental subsidy of $250 per month can be the difference between staying housed and falling into homelessness. Compare this annual investment of $3,000 and the need for emergency medical care with hospitalization for a homeless older adult on the street, which can easily cost ten times this amount.
The Seniors Safe at Home program has a 96% success rate in keeping participants housed. Shallow rental subsidy programs are among the most cost-effective approaches we have to prevent homelessness before it begins. They can be implemented immediately, and they are far more humane.
In addition to this program funded through community philanthropy, several pilot programs have been launched by the city and county of San Diego due to advocacy by Serving Seniors and others.
With these proven, measurable results, now is the time to be bold, be big, and to have clear political conviction and commitment, not only in San Diego but across the state of California.
At Serving Seniors, we’ll continue to lead this conversation and push for smart, scalable and compassionate solutions. Yes, we must build more affordable housing. Yes, we must expand shelter capacity. But if we don’t prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place, we will always be playing catch up. Prevention must come first.
The Lucky Duck Foundation and the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation are setting an example we hope others across California will follow. We owe it to our older adults, our parents, our grandparents, our neighbors, people have worked their whole lives to do better. Together, we can ensure every older adult has a safe place to live and the support they need.
Behind these numbers are real people: grandparents, neighbors, and longtime community members who have contributed to society and now find themselves without a safe place to call home.
Yes, affordable housing is the end goal, but in San Diego, development has always been a difficult proposition. People need help now. As the Point-in-Time Count shows, demographics are working against us. Homelessness in areas with high housing costs like San Diego County will grow unchecked unless we take immediate action.
Melinda Forstey is president and chief executive officer of Serving Seniors.
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