The Emerging Crisis of Aged Homelessness: Could Housing Solutions Be Funded by Avoidance of Excess Shelter, Hospital, and Nursing Home Costs?

This report summarizes a multi-site study in three localities – Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles County – of the anticipated future of the aged homeless population, its likely impacts on health and shelter systems and resulting costs, and the potential for housing solutions. Specifically, this report summarizes the following analyses: - Forecasts of the size of the aged homeless population to 2030 - Projected costs associated with the use of shelter, health care, and long-term care by this aged homeless population - Segmentation of the forecasted aged population based on the intensity of health and shelter use by various subgroups - Proposed housing and service intervention models matched to the varying level of housing and services needs of these subgroups - Potential service cost reductions associated with housing interventions based on scenarios from prior literature - The net cost of the proposed housing interventions based on the potential for shelter, health, and nursing home cost offsets. The report concludes with some considerations regarding how to pay for potential housing solutions, given the complexity of the various funding streams. Absent new housing solutions, substantial public resources will otherwise be spent unnecessarily on excess shelter, health, and long-term care use.