Posted inAging, Community, Government & Politics, Health, Homelessness, Housing

Veterans Stay Healthy Longer in Housing With Extra Supports. But the Money Could Dry Up.

As California’s population grows older, more people need help aging in place. This is especially true of veterans, a demographic with higher-than-average rates of homelessness. Over two years ago, Swords to Plowshares launched a pilot program offering enhanced services and staffing in subsidized housing to help veterans stay healthy and housed. Early results are promising, but future funding remains uncertain as the Trump admin moves away from long-term housing solutions.

Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Aging, Community, Homelessness

Why Are So Many Older Adults Unhoused, and What Can You Do About It?

Homelessness among older adults is on the rise in California. On Sept. 30, the Public Press moderated a discussion that examined examined why homelessness is increasing among older adults, and how San Franciscans be a part of the solution. The conversation touched on the criminalization of homelessness, the human costs of capitalism and strategies to combat this crisis.

Posted inAging, City Hall, Health, HIV & AIDS, LGBTQ+

Medicaid and Other Cuts Threaten Older LGBTQ+ Adults in SF

The Trump administration is attacking LGBTQ+ rights nationwide, and San Francisco has declared itself sanctuary city for transgender people. But even as the city anticipates an influx of newcomers, older trans adults already living here face discrimination and threats to their health as the federal government cuts funding for crucial programs and erases data about their demographic groups. 

Advocates expect LGBTQ+ seniors in particular to be negatively affected by the gutting of Medicaid, funding cuts at every level, and the erasure of key data focused on gender identity and sexual orientation. San Francisco’s population of older adults has been growing rapidly, which strains limited resources.

Posted inAging, Government & Politics, Immigration

Esta cuidadora es una defensora inmigrante con discapacidades. Bajo el mandato de Trump, su futuro es incierto.

Cuando Elisa se levantó de su silla en la sede de Mujeres Unidas y Activas, un grupo activista de mujeres latinas e indígenas, buscó un bastón para apoyarse. Hace unos años, de camino al trabajo, Elisa se resbaló en unas escaleras y sufrió una fuerte caída. El accidente le dejó lesiones permanentes y agravó las deformidades con las que había nacido en ambos pies. Las secuelas han tenido una grave consecuencia toda su vida. De repente, ya no podía trabajar. Sus ingresos desaparecieron, lo que la obligó a abandonar su hogar.

Posted inAging, Government & Politics, Immigration

This Caregiver Is an Immigrant and Disabled Advocate. Under Trump, Her Future Is Uncertain.

Elisa is a longtime caregiver for older adults and people with disabilities. Like many caregivers, she was born abroad, and her story is one of many examples of how the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant attacks are on a collision course with a nationwide staffing crisis in the care economy. Programs that support older adults and those with disabilities face cuts, and those populations increasingly rely on people like Elisa — who, as a disabled immigrant worker, is more and more vulnerable to exploitation by employers.

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