Listening Sessions and Focus Groups summaries
Home
Attendees at Listening Sessions expressed anxiety in three areas relating to the home; isolation and loneliness, fear of losing their home due to increasing rents and/or home repair costs and worries about being able to have a caregiver if their current family caregiver is no longer available or able to care for them. Anxiety over being alone was expressed at all sessions and often the first topic to come up. People lament the loss of connections with others brought about by the pandemic. The sense of isolation, from their perspective, has increased tremendously since the beginning of the pandemic. While people want to return to socialization, they are afraid of exposure and, therefore, feel confined to their homes alone. The fear of being alone encompasses the loss of social connections, having someone to turn to in case of need or who shows concern for them, and fear of dying alone. Although people feel isolated and crave social contact with others, they want to remain in their homes. Those who rent are very worried about rising rents and being forced to move to less desirable rentals or ending up homeless. They fear they will be evicted if they are hospitalized for any length of time and feel that available rentals are not safe, badly maintained, and not welcoming to older adults. Those who own are worried about rising costs relating to home repair and maintenance. Participants felt that home repair help is limited to a narrow scope of repairs, not available to “middle - income” older adults who may not qualify for low -income assistance yet struggle to cover costs, and rural areas suffer from lack of services. Participants representing area social services at the Focus Groups, listed housing as one of the most pressing issues facing Pima County residents, especially for older adults and special populations – those with physical, intellectual, or behavioral health issues, as well as other disenfranchised groups facing stigma or fear of discrimination. Their main concern is how to keep their clients housed and cite the rising costs of housing and basic needs when discussing this topic.
Neighborhood
People tend to use the words neighborhood and community interchangeably. For purposes of this section in the plan, neighborhood is the immediate area surrounding someone’s home. It may include surrounding homes and/or apartments, parks, grocery stores, or other businesses and services. Participants in the Listening Sessions did not address this level of living. It was a point of discussion in the Focus Groups regarding the need for PCOA and other social services to increase services and/or create partnerships with other organizations/institutions within area neighborhoods.
Region II: PCOA
Area Plan 2024-2027
Page 96 of 113
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