Homelessness among older adults in Multnomah County has increased by 15% over a two-year period. That underscores the need for more services aimed at preventing evictions due to unmet in-home care needs, according to a new report from the Department of County Human Services.
Staff from the County’s Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division (ADVSD) briefed the Board Thursday, April 20, shedding light on the division’s work to serve older adults and promote aging in place. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines aging in place as “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level."
In mid-2022, Commissioner Susheela Jayapal requested a budget note during the fiscal year 2023 budget process to better understand the in-home care needs of older adults renting in Multnomah County and how the County could help ensure housing stability for this vulnerable population.
“Housekeeping and daily home management tasks like paying bills are challenging” for many older adults, Commissioner Jayapal said Thursday. “Challenging enough that the inability to keep up with those things can lead to evictions.”
Nearly 152,000 people in Multnomah County are 60 or older. Of those, 33,000 live below the federal poverty level. Between 2017 and 2022, the Oregon Self-Sufficiency standard — the amount needed to afford basic needs for working adults — increased from $25,360 annually to $31,521.
“Aging in place becomes particularly challenging for a person on a fixed income,” said Alex Garcia Lugo, a project manager for ADVSD. “As the cost of living rises, they might be displaced from their rental housing arrangements.”
In 2013, 13% of residents experiencing homelessness were 55 to 69 years old. By last year, that rate had grown to 22.5%, with a 9% increase just between 2021 and 2022. This trend was also observed among residents who are Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color.
Recent research also shows older adults experiencing homelessness are twice as likely to have cognitive impairments, and 2.5 to 10 times more likely to have difficulty with caring for themselves. Data from the 2022 Multnomah County Point in Time count also shows the number of older adults experiencing homelessness increased by 15% from 2019 to 2022.
The Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division interviewed more than 1,391 older adults in 17 languages for its 2021-25 Area Plan on Aging. The top four needs among those surveyed were housing, income, healthcare and food. With homelessness among older adults on the rise, experts suggest investments in those areas are critical for preventing homelessness.
Older adults at risk of housing instability or eviction also tend to experience negative social and health conditions. And for people living on a fixed income, an unexpected medical or utility bill might be catastrophic.
“There’s intersectionality,” Garcia Lugo said. “The common theme for participants is that once things get off track, it’s really hard to get back on track.”
Garcia Lugo highlighted two ADVSD programs serving older adults at risk of eviction. The Safety Net Program helps participants with medical and utility bills, while Care Transition provides case managers who follow up with patients after they are admitted to a hospital to prevent rehospitalization.
“Older adults are people we frequently see in the emergency department that I care for that have many, many needs that are not met, and we are one of the few safety nets out there,” Commissioner Sharon Meieran said.
Other local resources include Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon, which provides information to older adults experiencing homelessness, and the Mobile Team, which reduces transportation and technology barriers for older adults who are homeless or disabled.
The Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division also offers housing navigation, which assists case managers and direct consumers with resources, tenant screenings and housing assessments to identify barriers to successful housing
“It’s good to know there are programs out there that are willing to step in,” Commissioner Diane Rosenbaum said.
But gaps remain. The report included five recommendations to help reduce barriers for older adults:
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Creating a housekeeping program for low-income older adults.
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Establishing a pet care program for older adults.
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Developing a program providing care overnight.
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Increasing capacity for the Oregon Money Management Program to serve as the representative payee to enhance case management and in-home supports.
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Expanding programs that help low-income older adults access in-home services, resolve tenant issues, and remain housed
Commissioner Lori Stegmann said the housekeeping proposal resonated with her, having personally witnessed housekeeping become an issue as her parents aged. As people’s health conditions decline, “housekeeping becomes nonexistent, which creates a whole other host of health challenges,” she said.
In order to approach implementing those recommendations, the report suggests increasing investments in frontline workers, as well as job development, skill expansion and more behavioral health support for employees.
Laura Golino de Lovato, the executive director of Northwest Pilot Project, an organization that connects low-income older adults with affordable rental housing, said the report echoes trends that Pilot Project has witnessed over the past decade.
“I really want to thank our partners at ADVSD for the comprehensive report that they put together,” Golino de Lovato said. “It really details all of the issues related to home care and other support services for older adults, especially those who are low income.”
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson thanked the presenters for outlining actionable recommendations for the Board to consider.
“It’s an important topic as we look at an aging population and the unmet needs for our senior neighbors who are either unhoused or at risk for being unhoused,” Chair Vega Pederson said. “There are things we can do, so thank you for bringing us that concrete report.”