Traver Anthony, Velasquez Rheanna, Dabelko-Schoeny Holly
College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Gerontologist. 2025 Mar 25;65(4). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf002.
Aging in the Right Place (AIRP), the process of occupying housing that meets one's unique preferences and needs, is a critical component of aging well. Homelessness in later life compromises AIRP. This qualitative study examined the factors that informed housing options before, during, and after episodes of homelessness in later life and the indicators of AIRP that those options embodied.
This cross-sectional qualitative study consisted of interviews with 22 older adults who experienced homelessness after age 55 and 9 housing service providers in Columbus, OH. We conducted a flexible coding analysis guided by the conceptual framework of AIRP indicators for older persons experiencing homelessness.
The confluence of low incomes, low housing supply, fragile social networks, and strained housing services resulted in older adults moving frequently between low-cost and substandard housing options with few indicators of AIRP. Emergency rental vouchers, social capital, and case management were capable of increasing access to safer and stabler options for some. Most older adults consider a private apartment to be their "right" place to age.
The results of this qualitative study capture the downstream effects of an aging society that prioritizes exclusionary housing policies and a weak social safety net. Structural responses to promote AIRP among the growing number of older adults experiencing homelessness are discussed.
“在合适的地方养老”（AIRP），即居住在符合个人独特偏好和需求的住房中的过程，是安享晚年的关键组成部分。晚年无家可归会损害“在合适的地方养老”。这项定性研究调查了影响晚年无家可归期间及前后住房选择的因素，以及这些选择所体现的“在合适的地方养老”的指标。
这项横断面定性研究包括对22名55岁后经历过无家可归的老年人以及俄亥俄州哥伦布市的9名住房服务提供者进行访谈。我们在“在合适的地方养老”指标概念框架的指导下，对经历无家可归的老年人进行了灵活的编码分析。
低收入、住房供应不足、脆弱的社会网络以及紧张的住房服务共同作用，导致老年人在低成本和不合标准的住房选择之间频繁流动，几乎没有“在合适的地方养老”的指标。紧急租赁券、社会资本和个案管理能够为一些人增加获得更安全、更稳定住房选择的机会。大多数老年人认为私人公寓是他们养老的“合适”地方。
这项定性研究的结果揭示了一个优先考虑排他性住房政策和薄弱社会安全网的老龄化社会的下游影响。讨论了针对越来越多经历无家可归的老年人促进“在合适的地方养老”的结构性应对措施。
