Challenges to Aging in the Right Place for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness

Aging in the Right Place (AIRP), the process of occupying housing that meets one's unique preferences and needs, is a critical component of aging well. Homelessness in later life compromises AIRP. This qualitative study examined the factors that informed housing options before, during, and after episodes of homelessness in later life and the indicators of AIRP that those options embodied.

This cross-sectional qualitative study consisted of interviews with 22 older adults who experienced homelessness after age 55 and 9 housing service providers in Columbus, OH. We conducted a flexible coding analysis guided by the conceptual framework of AIRP indicators for older persons experiencing homelessness.

The confluence of low incomes, low housing supply, fragile social networks, and strained housing services resulted in older adults moving frequently between low-cost and substandard housing options with few indicators of AIRP. Emergency rental vouchers, social capital, and case management were capable of increasing access to safer and stabler options for some. Most older adults consider a private apartment to be their "right" place to age.

The results of this qualitative study capture the downstream effects of an aging society that prioritizes exclusionary housing policies and a weak social safety net. Structural responses to promote AIRP among the growing number of older adults experiencing homelessness are discussed.