State of Homelessness in Arizona
“We’re seeing a huge boom in senior homelessness,” said Kendra Hendry, a caseworker with the Salvation Army, Arizona’s largest shelter, where older people make up about 30% of those staying there. “These are not necessarily people with mental illness or substance abuse problems; they are people being pushed into the streets by rising rents.”
Academics project their numbers will nearly triple over the next decade, challenging policymakers to imagine new ideas for sheltering the last baby boomers as they get older, sicker, and less able to pay spiraling rents. Advocates say much more housing is needed, especially for extremely low-income people.