Local study finds that nearly half of single adults living in LA streets are over the age of 50

A local study finds that nearly half of the single adults living across Los Angeles streets and dealing with homelessness are over the age of 50.

Homeless encampments stock photo.Photo byLevi Meir ClancyonUnsplash

According to a local study, it was found that over 50% of single adults living on the streets of Los Angeles and experiencing homelessness are over the age of 50.

The team conducting the study discovered that approximately 50% of single adults residing on our streets are aged 50 or older.

Additionally, it was revealed that 7% of all homeless adults, regardless of being single or part of a family, are above the age of 65.

Furthermore, it was found that 41% of older, single Californians had never experienced homelessness at any point in their lives before reaching the age of 50.

Dr. Margot Kushel, the lead investigator on the study from UCSF's Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, had this to say:

These are old people losing housing. They basically were ticking along very poor, and sometime after the age of 50, something happened".

According to Kushel, something like divorce, the loss of a loved one, an illness, or even a reduction in work hours triggered a downward spiral in their lives, leading to what she describes as a situation where "their lives just blew up."

In a recently published study on Tuesday, it was revealed that another significant factor driving the homelessness crisis on our streets is the vulnerable state of poverty faced by the working poor, particularly among Black and brown seniors.

This study is considered the most extensive and comprehensive investigation of California's homeless population in decades.

According to official data, as reported by the media, an estimated number of 160,000 Californians are homeless.

This number is set to have grown by more than 39% in the last five years and disproportionately affects low-income Black and Latino people.

It should come as no surprise that California's main cities have a homeless issue. After New York City, Los Angeles probably has the biggest number of homeless persons in the United States.

According to reports, the scheme would be sponsored by private donations and pay landlords a year's rent in advance to encourage them to waive the standard credit, job, and background checks for renters.

Back in 2021, the state of California put forward a proposal of $12 billion to mitigate homelessness, and Governor Gavin Newsom was said to be planning on signing this into new legislation budgetary.