Abstract
Low-income preseniors represent a vulnerable, often overlooked population facing multiple challenges related to finding and sustaining employment, limited financial resources, mental and physical health challenges, mobility issues, and ineligibility for pensions and benefits for seniors. These issues make finding suitable, affordable housing particularly challenging when compounded with limited affordable housing stock, thus increasing this population’s risk for housing insecurity/homelessness. This qualitative, exploratory study examined subsidized housing issues for low-income preseniors from the perspective of subsidized housing providers ( n = 16). Barriers for this population occurred within individual (limited financial resources; complex health, mental health, and disability issues; current unsafe/inadequate housing; and new immigrant status) and structural (strict age cutoffs, inadequate safe/affordable housing supply, lack of information about the housing and service needs of the population, and ineffective collaboration within the sector) domains. Policy changes at the provincial and federal levels related to income support, availability of affordable housing supports, and immigration are recommended.
Highlights
As a consequence of population aging, the Center for Housing Policy in the United States predicts an increase in those most vulnerable, including people with a disability, women living alone, and minorities (Lipman, Lubell, & Salomon, 2012)
The individual factor describing the complex needs of this population in terms of health, mental health, and disability is entwined within limited housing options available to meet these specific needs
Participants in the study portrayed how low-income preseniors are falling through the cracks in accessing affordable, safe, subsidized housing as a consequence of individual- and structural-level barriers
Summary
As a consequence of population aging, the Center for Housing Policy in the United States predicts an increase in those most vulnerable, including people with a disability, women living alone, and minorities (Lipman, Lubell, & Salomon, 2012). In a large urban city located in Southwestern Ontario, Ploeg et al (2008) evaluated a Homeless Intervention Program (HIP) that targeted persons of low-income, homeless individuals or those vulnerable to housing instability aged 54 and older They examined HIP records of clients (n = 129); conducted three focus groups with service users (n = 5), housing providers (n = 8), and program providers and administrators (n = 4); and completed individual interviews with funders (n = 3), program providers and administrators (n = 6), and service administrators (n = 4). The study found high levels of needs related to health, mental health, and housing among older adults with histories of homelessness or housing insecurity
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