About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and innovations related to housing for the aging Baby Boomer population, particularly in the context of increasing senior homelessness.
By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older. Many of these older adults will live alone and on limited incomes, and many will have mobility and other health challenges. This so-called “silver tsunami” is here to stay, and the math is ominous. The nation already has a housing shortage—and a senior-care shortage. On the plus side, many of these older folks will be healthier and more active, engaged, and tech-savvy than their peers in prior generations. But since their housing needs and preferences will also differ from those of their predecessors, new questions and challenges will arise. On Century Lives: The Home Stretch, we explore signs of hope and inspiration in communities where housing innovations for older adults are already afoot. Older adults are the fastest-growing age group falling into homelessness: The population of unhoused older adults is expected to triple from 2017 to 2030. We discuss its roots in the shortage of housing in the U.S. and visit San Diego to learn about some solutions to the growing crisis of senior homelessness.
Topics covered
- aging population
- housing crisis
- senior homelessness
- health challenges
- community solutions
Keywords
- aging
- housing shortage
- senior care
- homelessness
- community innovation
- health
- Baby Boomers
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Stanford Center on Longevity
Places: San Diego
More episodes of Century Lives
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- Robot Pets: Holograms and the Future of Loneliness · May 13, 2026 · 36 min
- Moving Forward · April 29, 2026 · 27 min
- Where Should I Live?: A Call-In Special · April 15, 2026 · 59 min
- Capably Aging in Place · April 1, 2026 · 41 min
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