Homelessness and Affordable Housing In our 2022-2023 Community Needs Assessment, one of the most pressing concerns we heard surrounded the “housing crisis” in Arizona. Many older Arizonans cannot find sustainable housing that they can afford. Already increasing housing and rental prices skyrocketed during the pandemic and continue to rise. According to Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona’s median rents increased approximately 18.3% between January 2021 to January 2022, a larger increase than the national average of 14.1%. 1 These increases in housing and rental prices have continued and led to a particularly vexing community problem. According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, the largest group of people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness are over age 55. 2 With numerous financial setbacks plaguing older adults, such as the impact from the 2008 financial crisis, increases in housing costs, unexpected medical bills, and other financial indicators with little increase in income makes it uniquely difficult for older adults to adapt to sharp and drastic increases in the housing market.
Housing cost burden, which is defined as a person spending more than 30% of their monthly income on housing, is more prevalent among renters than it is among homeowners, with 47% of renters being housing cost burdened in Pima County and 22% of U.S. homeowners being burdened. 3 These trends are more drastic for older renters, with the U.S. Census Bureau reporting that 56.7% of people 65 and older pay more than 30% of their monthly income on housing. 4 A significant issue facing Pima County residents is the lack of available and affordable housing stock. According to the Arizona State University Morrison Institute for Public Policy, for every rental vacancy, there are 14 prospective renters. 5 To find affordable housing, older adults are often competing in an environment with younger populations who have more ability to quickly change their income and credit, affecting
The largest group of people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness are over age 55.
the ability of older renters to be competitive in finding affordable and sustainable housing. Between 2010 and 2019, 76.8% of the relatively scarce new builds in Pima County were single-family homes and not affordable units for renters. 6 Housing security is a cornerstone to the social and economic conditions that create environments in which people thrive and their well-being flourishes. Available and affordable housing determines the
1 (Kurtz, 2022) 2 (“04. #038642 Annual Report on Homelessness 2022,” 2022) 3 (Kurtz, 2022) 4 (Population 65 Years and Over in Pima County, n.d.)
5 (Kurtz, 2022) 6 (Kurtz, 2022)
A Report to the Community
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Pima Council on Aging
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