A-3: Housing America’s Older Adults
HUD; HUD RSC; – 1 Hour | Tuesday, June 4th. 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Session Description:
Over the past decade, the US population 65 and older soared 34 percent, and as the baby boomers age, the fastest growth over the next 10 years will occur among those 80 and older. These demographic changes will increase demand for affordable and accessible housing and services. Drawing from our 2023 report on Housing America’s Older Adults as well as recent research produced by the Joint Center for Housing Studies on older adult homelessness, this talk will emphasize the dual burden of housing and care faced by older adults. These simultaneous costs are difficult to manage, even for households with moderate income. This talk will examine existing disparities in access to wealth, especially homeownership, and the increasing reliance on late life mortgage debt to make ends meet. We will also discuss challenges experienced by older renters, 56 percent of whom spent at least 30 percent of their income on housing in 2021. We will consider geographic differences in the landscape of affordability as well as the implications of unmet needs, including the rising rates of older adults experiencing homelessness. Finally, we will consider emerging threats to aging households, particularly climate change. Innovations and promising practices will be raised to contextualize these many concerns and frame opportunities looking forward.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze the demographic shifts driving the increased demand for affordable and accessible housing and services among older adults in the United States.
Evaluate the dual burden of housing and care faced by older adults.
Assess the disparities in access to wealth, particularly homeownership, among aging households.
Speakers:
Samara Scheckler
Research Associate, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies
Samara Scheckler is a Research Associate working on projects related to community-based aging. Dr. Scheckler’s researches best practices to maximize health, independence, and quality of life for people with a range of abilities and needs. Her work pays particular attention to the influence of the physical environment on policy implementation as well as disparities in access to resources. Previously, Samara coordinated the care of individuals with disabilities living in both institutions and private residences. Samara received her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Public Administration and Policy.
