Fostering Stability in Aging: Assisting Older Adults At-Risk of Poverty and Homelessness

• Pages: 47-47
• Date: 01 March 2025
• Published date: 01 March 2025
• Author: Erica Costello

Bifocal 46 Issue 4

47

Fostering Stability in Aging: Assisting Older Adults

At-Risk of Poverty and Homelessness

By Erica Costello, Associate Director/Chief Counsel

American Bar Association, Commission on Law and Aging

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness,

the fastest growing group of people experiencing homeless

in the United States are individuals over the age of 55. 1 In

2024, more than 146,000 adults over the age of 55 were

homeless and this number is only expected to increase in

the coming years.2

This issue of Bifocal highlights the need for fostering sta-

bility in aging, especially for older adults at-risk of

homelessness. For example, Commission on Law and Aging

(COLA) Commissioner Kyle Page and Olivia O’Connell’s

article discusses the many housing options available for

older adults to meet their needs and assist in their care.

COLA Liaison Nicole Shannon’s article addresses how

Medicaid benefits can help an adult to age in place while

protecting their independence and autonomy.

1. National Alliance to End Homelessness. (n.d.). https://

endhomelessness.org/people-with-unaddressed-health-conditions/

2. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (Jan. 16, 2025).

More Older Adults are Homeless-What Can Be Done to Help this

Vulnerable Population with Unique Needs. Found at: https://

www.gao.gov/blog/more-older-adults-are-homeless-what-can-be-

done-help-vulnerable-population-unique-needs

Additionally, Attorneys Kathie Brown Roberts and Bailey

Liipfert’s article spotlights legal and financial

considerations around housing options for older adults.

Other articles in this issue address current challenges and

barriers to housing experienced by older adults. ABA legal

intern Charity Dera’s article examines predatory and dis-

criminatory housing practices that have historically led to

housing instability for Black older adults. Attorney Malya

Levin’s article further discusses how elder abuse is an

often-overlooked risk factor to homelessness among older

adults and provides information on elder justice shelter

programs that can support older adults in need of services.

Finally, Attorney Tom Crishon’s article identifies ways that

older adults can overcome barriers to access housing and

live more independently.

To combat the growing issue of homelessness among older

adults, COLA recently partnered with the Commission on

Homelessness and Poverty (CHP) to develop a website en-

titled, “Fostering Stability in Aging.” The website provides

resources to attorneys and other advocates to support older

adults at-risk of poverty and homelessness. Through a re-

cent grant with the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation,

COLA and CHP will also host a virtual summit in June of

2025 with leading experts in elder, probate, eviction, and

housing law to explore the legal needs related to older mar-

ginalized adults at-risk of homelessness or housing insecu-

rity. Following the summit, we will produce a final report

on our findings and recommendations.

“Fostering Stability in Aging” will also be the theme of the

2025 National Aging and Law Conference (NALC). We

are planning to host this event virtually on November 6-7,

2025, with sessions discussing the barriers, challenges, and

possible solutions to many issues affecting older adults at-

risk of poverty and homelessness. If you are interested in

attending, more information will be posted on our website

about the conference in the summer of 2025.

As more and more older adults experience poverty and

homelessness throughout the United States, COLA remains

in a unique position to lead attorneys in advocating for

older adults to access to housing, medical care, food, and

other services. Additional resources and research developed

by COLA to support attorneys and advocates can be found

on our website.