Homelessness is devastating for anyone, but for older adults it can be life-threatening. They face greater health risks, limited mobility, and fewer opportunities to rebuild their lives.
With many older adults living on fixed and extremely low incomes, it’s no surprise that the region’s lack of affordable housing and skyrocketing cost of living are pushing more of our senior residents onto the streets and at a faster rate. Seniors are now the fastest-growing homeless population in the country.
This growing crisis is the result of a system that has failed to protect our most vulnerable community members. To address the rapid and concerning rise in elderly homelessness, Destination: Home is piloting a new program to reduce rent burden for at-risk seniors in partnership with the County of Santa Clara, City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara County Housing Authority and Charities Housing.
Rent Relief for At-Risk Seniors
Nearly one in three older adults in California is severely rent-burdened, spending more than half of their income on rent alone. As a result, more seniors are making the impossible choice between rent, food, and healthcare. Many are just one unexpected expense away from being forced to live in their car or on our streets.
Our 2-year pilot program is designed to eliminate this burden by providing project-based funding to bring down the monthly rents for 20 lowest-income residents of Belovida Santa Clara, an affordable senior development in Santa Clara, to help them achieve housing stability and avoid homelessness. By proving this works, we hope to expand these efforts over time.
We’re Already Seeing the Impact
Ed Buliavac, a resident of Belovida, is thankful for the program. He’s experienced homelessness himself in the past and without this help, he would have continued to spend most of his income on rent and forgo other basic needs. This economic hardship also isolated him, preventing him from seeing his loved ones and maintaining the connections we all value.
Ed recognizes the clear need for more affordable homes for seniors, having “jumped at the opportunity” to apply for a unit at Belovida. He understands how easy it is to be pushed into homelessness, having experienced it himself after years of living stably as a tech worker and homeowner. He also knows many other older adults facing similar situations.
Thank You To Our Partners
Support from the County, City of Santa Clara and the Santa Clara County Housing Authority makes it possible for housing to remain truly affordable for Ed and other senior residents at Belovida for years to come. We’re grateful for the commitment of our partners to addressing the growing crisis of homelessness among older adults, and we’re excited to share more about this joint effort and the impacts in the coming years.
Together, we can ensure that seniors spend the remainder of their years safe and stably housed at home.