Creating structural community cohesion: Addressing racial equity in older adult homelessness

Abstract

Older adults and racial minorities are overrepresented in homeless populations. Shelter and housing options for homeless older adults who have complex health and social needs are necessary, but not readily available. Older homeless adults that require, but do not receive, health-sensitive, age-sensitive, and racial equity housing, remain vulnerable to poor outcomes and premature mortality. Accordingly, this study examines the development of a coalition to better address older adult homelessness within a racial equity framework. A community coalition was established to better address older adult homelessness within the lens of age-sensitivity and racial equity, due to a disconnect between healthcare and senior housing placement programs, creating unaddressed multifaceted health issues/complications. The community coalition development is described, including the coalition process, activities, and outcomes. Local rehoused older adults are also interviewed and described to better understand their central life circumstances.

Keywords:

• Aging
• homelessness
• racial equity

Acknowledgments

We want to thank all partners and participants involved in the execution, implementation, and evaluation of this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant received from Richmond Memorial Health Foundation and support from the Virginia Center on Aging.