Lou Brown never thought he would end up in a shelter, especially not at 91 years old.
But the unexpected happened. His two nephews, whom he was living with, died during the pandemic. The lease of the Garfield home didn’t contain his name, so he couldn’t stay there anymore. With no other family to turn to, Mr. Brown found himself homeless for the first time.
Even after securing a bed at the East End Cooperative Ministry’s emergency shelter in East Liberty, the challenges of finding permanent housing have left him in limbo for nearly a year and half.
“A senior in a shelter,” Mr. Brown said. “I don't know. I always thought it was a younger group, you know? But I just came to a point where I needed assistance … I thought senior apartments would be fast. Real fast.”
The aging unhoused population is growing rapidly across the United States. A lack of affordable housing; soaring cost of living; declining retirement readiness; susceptibility to violence; mental and physical challenges — all of it makes seniors more vulnerable to homelessness, and shelter staff are left to fill the gaps in resources.
While older adults are generally underrepresented in Allegheny County’s unhoused population, local shelters say they face an overburdened system when helping their eldest clients, especially when it comes to low-income senior housing.
“I didn't have a whole lot of people to reach out to for help,” Mr. Brown said. “The shelter accepted me right away. I wish your senior apartments were like that.”
In Allegheny County, 13% of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness are between the ages 55 to 64, and 6% are 65 and older, according to 2023 numbers. Projections from one 2019 study estimates that the population of people 65 or older experiencing homelessness nationwide will nearly triple by 2030.
The findings are no surprise to Jerrel Gilliam, executive director of the Light of Life Rescue Mission, which runs a Voeghtly Street emergency shelter, along with a day center and food pantry. He sees more seniors seeking out their services.
This year, Light of Life’s food pantry has served more than 260 people ages 55 to 64, and more than 140 people 65 and older so far. A third of the households the pantry serves weekly comprise seniors.
When seniors populate that pantry line is also telling. People used to flood in later in the month, when bills pile up. Social Security checks start arriving the second Wednesday of each month, but that money doesn’t seem to be stretching as far.
“Before, it was that last week [of the month], we would see the increase,” he said. “Then it goes to the second week we see that increase. What it's telling us is that their checks are going less and less.”
Advocates say displacement puts many seniors on the brink. Seniors get evicted or forced out of their place because the landlord sold the building. Others outlive their caretakers or get left behind when family move away.
That’s on top of often relying on a fixed income to cover surging rent, food and utility bills. An Allegheny County report last year found only about half of older adults between 55 and 64 felt confident about covering basic expenses during retirement.
It’s a slippery slope for aging residents, said Evan Cole, a University of Pittsburgh research associate professor in health policy and management. The average net worth of older renters nationally is $6,300, he said.
“That's a population that's going to be really susceptible to changes in their rent or other life events that might just wipe them out quickly,” he said. “It's a really financially vulnerable group.”
When unhoused seniors come to Light of Life, outreach specialist Michael Weisman says the first step is usually signing them up for benefits. He is surprised by how many don’t have the basics, like Medicare.
The next step is the most fraught with challenges: housing. The top choice of many are subsidized senior high-rises. Individuals aged 62 and over get priority on the city’s waiting list, yet progress proves slow.
“We're still talking maybe six months,” he said. “It can take more than that. Waiting it out is a big part of it. A very big part.”
As of July 24, almost 290 people are waiting for 62-plus housing, according to city data. Teresa Dartouzos, 62, is one of them. She didn’t know subsidized senior housing was an option until she came to Light of Life. In the grips of addiction, she could no longer live with her daughter and two grandchildren.
“I never had this problem before,” she said. “I just let it fester.”
Ms. Dartouzos isn’t alone — nearly 1 million adults aged 65 and older live with a substance use disorder. With the staff’s support, she’s in recovery and moved to Sister House, a North Side apartment building owned by the organization.
The shelter helped her get on food stamps and Social Security, allowing her to see income for the first time in 18 months. She was denied disability for her mental health.
Now she just waits for a unit to open, something she’s been doing for two months. She wants to feel independent again.
“To have my own place, to be able to help my daughter whatever she needs help with,” she said. “My daughter was sending me money every month. She’s had to do everything herself. Now, she can come to me.”
The problem too is that advocates can’t jump on the first unit that opens up for their senior clients. How close the place is to their doctor or a food pantry or whether the space accommodates physical disabilities can be a make or break factors.
The decision can come with compromise. In Mr. Brown’s case, shelter staff recently found him a one-bedroom in McKeesport. But the apartment doesn’t come with wraparound support and puts him further away from the shelter’s services. While Mr. Brown is more capable of independent living than most his age, program manager Mark Blassingame wants to ensure someone can regularly check on him.
“He's like, ‘I like the place, I want to take it, but is there anybody else out there from the program?’” Mr. Blassingame said. “He's searching for a familiar face. A lot of them have that fear of just, what if I'm in my apartment alone and something happens?”
And for seniors struggling with memory problems or cognitive decline, they may not remember what calls they’ve made or applications they’ve submitted. They might toss away important mail or forget to attend a mandatory interview to get into an apartment.
If forced to live on the street, advocates warn of the dangers seniors face. A National Health Care for the Homeless Council study found that being older and experiencing prolonged homelessness significantly increases one’s risk of experiencing a violent attack.
The bottom line, according to unhoused people and advocates alike, is the need for more senior housing. Studies show that permanent supportive housing is associated with reduced use of shelter, health and nursing home services and related expenses.
Caster Binion, executive director of the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh, said the department is working to expand its senior housing stock. He noted this June’s groundbreaking for a $20.5 million development that will create 39 affordable units for seniors. He encourages people to visit their new 412 Boulevard of Allies office for in-person help.
“We feel very excited about what we're doing,” Mr. Binion said. “Affordable housing is our goal. We are purchasing houses across the city. We are planning developments. We will continue to do more.”
For now, Mr. Brown is hopeful he’ll be in his McKeesport home soon, in a “nice,” “simple” place to finally call his own.
“I've been dreaming about better things in life,” he said. “You hope for the best, always.”
First Published: August 10, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: August 11, 2023, 1:48 a.m.
