Establish Home Safe: Homelessness Prevention for Vulnerable Seniors

Budget Priority

CWDA is seeking $15 million State General Fund to establish Home Safe, a homelessness prevention and rapid re‑housing demonstration grant program for victims of elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect. This proposed one‑time augmentation would allow 15 participating counties to demonstrate over three years how providing short-term housing crisis intervention can help reduce the incidence and risk of homelessness among California’s older adults.

Each year, California receives about 150,000 unduplicated reports of elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect, and the number is rising as the population ages. Many of these victims are at risk of losing their housing as a direct result of abuse, neglect and exploitation. Some are targeted by abusers due to equity in their homes; others suffer such severe neglect that their homes are in disrepair. Once their home is lost, these elderly victims and persons with severe disabilities face poor prospects of finding other affordable housing on their limited, fixed incomes. The results can be unnecessary institutionalization into nursing home care or homelessness, both of which are most costly to taxpayers.

Letters

Fact Sheet

Watch: Dr. Margot Kushel testifies at the Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing, March 14, 2018