‘You don’t want to live anymore.’ California’s seniors living in poverty struggle without retirement savings

Unhoused senior Linda Fett, 61, sits in her room that Supportive Services has provided for her at the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row. Fett now receives about $220 a month from the county’s general relief program, with $150 going into the Union Rescue Mission’s Gateway Project, which provides short-term housing for those on the verge of homelessness. “They may be struggling because they don’t understand the new system of care that they have to try to navigate and they may not have access to the internet or family members and they may not know where to turn to services that are there to help them.” Lack of housing also exacerbates health conditions and shortens the lifespan for older adults, Benton said. California’s competitive real estate market and shortage of housing stock also makes it difficult for older adults, who have fixed incomes from Social Security and other sources, to rent or purchase homes, Chan said. “Unfortunately, the system assumes there is housing security to begin with.” Linda Fett waves goodbye to a visitor from her room at the Union Rescue Mission in Skid Row.