Preventing Age 50+ Homelessness 🏡

[Anonymous]

💥This discussion was created on Saturday - April 17, 2021💥

Prevention is cheaper, versus rescuing us after we have become homeless!

• What measures you as one person can do to perhaps prevent your homelessness or another age 50+ person's homelessness?

• Let us discuss this onging crisis 🙂

💡MY PLAN TO HELP

I am encouraging the folks with extra $$$$ to spare to invest in building Tiny Cottages to rent to us in my location.

💡WHY I CARE

It took me being homeless July 2017 to August 2018 to care. Up to that season in my life, life was stable. It took being laid off 3 times in my 50's for reality to kick in. Lol, have no desire to be homeless agsin with me now living on Social Security alone. Yes, had to use my 401k in 2008 to pay off my brand new car. That was my 1st layoff after 9 awesome years with Harris Corporation, Melbourne, Florida. That started my unpredictible life journey, working wherever I could with no 401k.

💥WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU💥

Do you have a homeless story to share? We would luv to hear it!!!

[iLuvNature]

10 comments (3/9/24) @Tempest332 , I grew up on BACKUPS = do not put ALL of your eggs in ONE basket. At age 66 THIS YEAR, I am "exploring" my optons JUST IN CASE my Medicare & Retirement Social Security goes bye-bye BEFORE I die. My daughter (only child) has OTHER options in place aside from her company's 401k. Hey, way too many SENIORS ended up on the streets when they had that huge "bust" several years ago. Cannot remember Company (I is old 🙄) but I was still working. The administrators left them penniless = no 401k funds. Some were already retired. Sad!!!

Nicole  👵

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[*** @Tempest332 wrote:

Plan ahead with a 401, not in your 50's but in your 20's, my IRA's & 401's dropped significantly in 2022 when a certain administrations policies started kicking in. ***]

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[Tempest332]

I'm just saying, as they are letting 18+ join AARP, I know so many that have absolutely no savings or plans for retirement, & are in massive debt.  Yes, more than one basket, though something is better than nothing.  Stick with reputable funds. 

SSI, & Medicare aren't going anywhere soon no matter how reckless the government spends, but really can one live comfortably on just these government handouts?

[iLuvNature]

8 comments (3/10/24) @Tempest332 , yes, alot of people are living on ONLY Government Handouts (immigrants, illegals, refugees) in my area and Habitat for Humanity just built a house for a couple from Peru. BUT the ROANOKE RESCUE MISSION is "full" with Americans who got "laid off" when companies like General Electric CLOSED their doors after being here FOREVER. As far as AARP letting age 18+ join, okay - BUT I see their SITE being CHANGED and to heck to age 50+. Anyway, that is life...

Nicole  👵

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[*** @Tempest332 wrote:

I'm just saying, as they are letting 18+ join AARP, I know so many

y that have absolutely no savings or plans for retirement, & are in massive debt.  Yes, more than one basket, though something is better than nothing.  Stick with reputable funds. 

SSI, & Medicare aren't going anywhere soon no matter how reckless the government spends, but really can one live comfortably on just these government handouts? ***]

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[GailL1]

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[Tempest332]

Guess I should leave "Habitat for Humanity" off my beneficiaries' then. 🤔

[iLuvNature]

5 comments (3/11/24) @Tempest332 Some people are OKAY with them, I am NOT!!

Nicole  👵

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[*** @Tempest332 wrote:

Guess I should leave "Habitat for Humanity" off my beneficiaries' then. 🤔 ***]

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[Tempest332]

I thought they were the last of the "honest" charities. There is a Habitat store here. I would had donated more to them, when cleaning the estate, but they were only open for a few hours a day 3 days a week. 

Meanwhile here's a couple of 50+ innovative women that were avoiding homelessness:

Weekday at Bernie's 

But they eventually got caught. 

[iLuvNature]

3 comments (3/11/24) @Tempest332 , they are HONEST!!! I just DO NOT believe in "foreigners" getting stuff from them BEFORE Americans. Too many of us, especially age 50+ who NEED HOUSING.

Nicole  👵

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[*** @Tempest332 wrote:

I thought they were the last of the "honest" charities. There is a Habitat store here. I would had donated more to them, when cleaning the estate, but they were only open for a few hours a day 3 days a week. ***]

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[GailL1]

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[iLuvNature]

(comment deleted by poster)

[Underbat]

Hello EVERYONE,

please keep the topic friendly and within the guidelines.

You can disagree, but maintain respect.

The subject is an important one for many and we must respect some have different opinions and solutions to others

Thanks everyone

[iLuvNature]

1 comment (3/8/24) Let us chat about the homeless issues in YOUR LOCATION!

At the moment I am living in BOTH Florida and Virginia.

Virginia had already banned sleeping on the street last year in my city.

NOW I see in the News Florida wants to do the same.

I totally AGREE as long as there are OPTIONS in place.

What happened in my suburb (Cave Spring, VA) was as they ran them from the city (Roanoke, VA) = they became OUR PROBLEM.  😱

How about PREVENTION instead of waiting for folks to be EVICTED.

Florida is a "hot mess" and everyone seems to want to be in Sunny Florida.

Nicole  👵

[Tempest332]

Never seen any "homelessness"  in my area till 2022 with folks living in bus shelters in the overnight hours.   

[Anonymous]

Wednesday - July 14, 2021

Things are returning to whatever the <new normal> is for us all. Hope all is well with everyone. Stay safe and treasure the time you have with loved ones. A home is not only about the building. It is about the luv we find there. Let us do what we can to encourage <Affordable Housing for Age 50+>. Getting old and homeless is not the way for our aging population! 😱

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

Hi @GailL1 yes, we know about this property. Thanks.

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

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@GailL1 wrote:

Good to know - good luck on your search.

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💥Thanks @GailL1 😁💥

[DeahWA]

Hi @Anonymous 

I admit to not having enough knowledge or experience with the homelessness issue to have thought through workable solutions. But that's never stopped me from chiming in with opinions. 😉

Two things come to mind immediately:

1. I noticed in the early days of the covid pandemic my state bought up or leased a few former motels that were sitting empty but not uninhabitable. Some of our homeless citizens were moved there for shelter and health protection. I think some were used to house seniors in nursing homes that had become dangerous to them due to wide spread covid, but who were healthy enough to withstand some service disruption.

I don't see why unoccupied motels couldn't be converted as permanent living space for those in need. 

Also, I can't remember now where it is maybe in Europe, that abandoned shopping malls have also been turned into tiny apartment spaces. If the structures are still useable, there's no reason this couldn't be done everywhere, with some modification for private bathrooms, food, laundry, and other needed services.

2. I don't want to start a political war here, but America seriously needs to get over its rugged individualism mindset that is in my opinion at the root of homelessness and other injustices and inequities. We don't have anywhere near a humane and functional welfare system because everyone points to everyone else as needing to step up and do something. Clearly that isn't working.

We should look to Scandinavia for completely workable and scalable models of taking care of people, whether poor, disabled or differently abled, solitary seniors, veterans, the mentally ill, immigrants, those fleeing domestic violence, those who through no fault of their own and/or due to loss of employment due to Covid have ben evicted, who have suffered medical bankruptcy -- and just plain ole people in need.

I'm glad to see Biden's plans for beginning to address the problem of housing instability, but I'm reading that most of the funds to be allocated for this would go to only 4 states (CA, TX, FL, and NY). State government also need to step up and make this a priority. And politicians need to quit propagandizing and fighting each other, and actually work together to find useful solutions.

Plenty of money exists in the defense budget that just one year's worth of the  new equipment budget would go a very long way towards funding good solutions. I'd start with determining what that amount of money would be, then work with corporate property owners AND people in need of housing to co-create some real and long lasting results.

[Anonymous]

💥Saturday - April 17, 2021💥

Hi @DeahWA I really appreciate you stopping by to join our discussion 🙂 Great insights!!!!

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

💥Saturday - April 17, 2021💥

• Hi @GailL1 I really appreciate you stopping by to join our discussion 🙂 Great points, thanks.
• I am interested in AFFORDABLE regular rentals, NO SECTION 8 or DISABLED set up. Lol, got enough of that here.
• I am a healthy 63-year old, on Social Security only.
• A lot of investors in this area.
• My goal is to bring ATTENTION to seniors like myself who DO NOT qualify for housing help.

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

💥Tuesday - April 27, 2021💥

Hi @GailL1 thanks for your second comment dated April 19th 🙂

1. I have faced impossible situations in the past and NEVER gave up = stuff fell in place. Not ALL investors are about $$$ Some have hearts or have experienced being HOMELESS themselves.
2. I am sure there are CHEAPER studio apartments out there in the crime-ridden city. Lol, spent 13 long months (July 2017 to August 2018) staying at the only shelter here, located downtown riding the unreliable city bus and walking for hours to get to my job. I made a PROMISE to myself that DOWNTOWN would NOT be seeing EXCEPT for my doctor's and dentist's appointments which are ALWAYS the first one for the morning. Hate getting up early, but trust me, I KNOW too much about downtown. My SAFETY comes first.
3. Bottom line, it took me being HOMELESS in my OLD age, see a 90-year old die in her sleep at the shelter to CARE. Any of us can be HOMELESS due to UNPLANNED stuff. Who plans on getting cancer as an example = needing a lot of care NOT covered by insurance. Or have our home destroyed by fire = got to go stay with someone or rent/buy another place. Life is EXCITING, but also UNPREDICTABLE.

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

💥Tuesday - April 27, 2021💥

• Yes @GailL1 a lot us were prepared and life was good until the economy fell in my case in 2008.
• Up till then, awesome insurance with short-term included, awesome paycheck and had my 401k up to 12%. Company matched up to 6%.
• My concern is not about my health, my concern is the increasing rent for folks like myself.
• Everyone's PRIORITIES will be DIFFERENT.

[GailL1]

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[Anonymous]

💥Wednesday - April 28, 2021💥

1. Good for you @GailL1 that your life is perfect 🙂
2. And in this post I do not mention Tiny Living as Virginia where I live is not zoned for them. A Tiny Cottage is a regular set up for me 🙂
3. In this post I had asked folks their thoughts on preventing age 50+ homelessness. People who care about this crisis or who have experienced homelessness. It is going to take people in their communities caring and getting involved.

[GailL1]

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[BertyBGone]

I have never been homeless and thankfully don't foresee that extreme circumstance happening to me, thanks to family taking me in if I needed a home.  But that would necessitate a move across the country which does not appeal to me. 

My issue is with rents going up and up but my income staying basically the same.  My monthly rent is now higher than my entire Social Security check!  So I'm dipping into savings to cover higher rent plus utilities, etc. 

Tiny houses are fairly common where I live (Oregon) and some are being built specifically for the homeless community.  But they are not inexpensive to buy in my area.  More common for seniors is a kind of communal housing, where several "members" share a kitchen and bath but have their own rooms.  I have not looked into details of this type of arrangement because it doesn't really appeal to me.  

I'm always interested in ideas and suggestions for possibly finding a compatible housemate to share expenses.  It's not easy!