Speaker Series presents Melinda Forstey, CEO Serving Seniors
She is responsible for the oversight and overall management of all programs, services, housing operations, and human resources. Founded in 1970, Serving Seniors is a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to serving low-income adults aged 60 and over.
Her talk will overview their recent report, Senior Homelessness: A a needs Assessment. This report revealed significant differences working with older adults experiencing homelessness as compared to the general adult homeless population. While homelessness is an increasingly common issue for all age groups, the study found that seniors are largely becoming homeless because of economic stresses and the inability to keep up with housing costs. The report showed there are readily achievable solutions that can be implemented immediately at low cost in an older adult’s lifetime. One of the key recommendations is establishing a Shallow Housing Financial Subsidy Program. The Program is designed to improve housing stability for low-income older adults who, without financial assistance, may be at risk of losing their housing.