Home to Stay: Creating Quality Supportive Housing for Aging Tenants

Very little is known about the homeless aging population, referred to as the “invisible population” and even less is known about those aging in place within supportive housing and older/elderly adults in institutions who, if provided with long-term supportive services, would be able to return to the community. Historically, the phenomena of homelessness amongst the elderly have not received the same attention from researchers as homeless youth and families; nor have efforts to stem the tide of chronic homelessness among older adults been sufficiently chronicled. This guide calls attention to the unique needs experienced by aging formerly homeless adults and briefly examines the chronic health, geriatric syndromes and social challenges faced by older and elderly adults in supportive housing, as well as some promising approaches for improving providers’ capacity to deliver and coordinate flexible and responsive services to aging residents with complex health and social support needs.