Homelessness Among Maryland Seniors Rose 77 Percent Since 2018

A report from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development highlights an alarming rise in homelessness among Maryland residents aged 65 and over, reports Danielle J. Brown in Maryland Matters.

According to the data, there was a 77 percent increase in people over 65 facing homelessness between 2018 and 2024. Danielle Meister, assistant secretary of homeless solutions in the department, says this indicates “a specific issue related to older adults that causing this disparity and this greater level of need.” In the same timeframe, the overall number of unhoused people in Maryland decreased.

As Brown explains, “There are a couple of primary factors leading to more older people to experience homelessness, one of which the so-called ‘silver tsunami’ — the simple fact that the number of older folks is rising both nationally and in the state.” But the sharp rise in the cost of housing and other everyday expenses is also particularly hard on older Americans, many of whom live on fixed incomes.

Meister says older residents who are not expected to return to the workforce or have a disability need added support. “So when we think about interventions … what they really need and are looking for is a long-term income subsidy or rental subsidy that can help them pay the rent and live independently and not have to come into the homeless system.”