Overall, the senior housing tour brought an in-depth perspective on what affordable senior housing looks like for San Diego as well as a background on the populations served at these facilities. Starting at the Potiker Family Senior Residence, we were welcomed with a quick presentation on the demographics they work with as well as the issues they face. I was shocked to hear the statistics regarding the older adults in the area. Although I was aware that a large proportion of the elderly faced homelessness, I didn’t know much about the structural barriers impacting them, such as the federal poverty level in comparison to the elder index. Cost of “affordable housing” is based around the federal poverty level which many seniors in California are not meeting. Centers like the Potiker Residence work to find ways to reduce costs for homeless older adults through grants/vouchers and case management. The Potiker Residence offered a wide variety of supportive services, including health services, meals, and a transitional housing program located at our next stop on the trip, the Sera Francis single-room occupancy hotel (SRO).
The Sera Francis SRO transitional housing option was specifically offered to homeless elders who were still in the case management process for finding more permanent housing. Although the SRO gave them the ability to stay off the streets and have comfort in the safety of their own homes, compared to the rest of the housing options, it definitely was the most bare bones in terms of resources. Each residence was a small box room with bathrooms located outside of the unit as shared facilities. However, despite its minimal resources, for some it is their best available option opposed to the streets. Outside of the centers for both the Potiker and Sera Franics, the area was overall very urban and lower ranked in walkability compared to our next locations on the tour.
The next two locations we moved onto were the Talmadge Gateway and the North Park Seniors. Both were more modern facilities and able to afford more planning opportunities to create a more sustainable and age-friendly institution. For example, the North Park Senior Center was awarded with a Green Point Rating for including outdoor rest areas and encouraging less cars. North Park Seniors made sure to be in a transit-oriented area (i.e. access to buses, distance to resources, etc). Talmadge Gateway, on the other hand, tackled the issue of accessibility by offering grocery trips/meal service programs due to its location in a food desert area and also providing in-center healthcare services . Both facilities were able to provide more comfort and programs to their residents.
Overall, the tour showed what some of the diverse experiences with housing look like in San Diego . Lack of housing/shelter is a challenge that can have a broad variety of impacts on those affected regardless of age, such as vulnerability to violence, food insecurity and problems with medical accessibility. However, these issues can hit harder on those of older age due to co-morbid conditions. I hope to be able to see affordable housing options in San Diego continue to improve with more complexes like Talmadge Gateway and North Park Seniors becoming available.
The Sera Francis SRO transitional housing option was specifically offered to homeless elders who were still in the case management process for finding more permanent housing. Although the SRO gave them the ability to stay off the streets and have comfort in the safety of their own homes, compared to the rest of the housing options, it definitely was the most bare bones in terms of resources. Each residence was a small box room with bathrooms located outside of the unit as shared facilities. However, despite its minimal resources, for some it is their best available option opposed to the streets. Outside of the centers for both the Potiker and Sera Franics, the area was overall very urban and lower ranked in walkability compared to our next locations on the tour.
The next two locations we moved onto were the Talmadge Gateway and the North Park Seniors. Both were more modern facilities and able to afford more planning opportunities to create a more sustainable and age-friendly institution. For example, the North Park Senior Center was awarded with a Green Point Rating for including outdoor rest areas and encouraging less cars. North Park Seniors made sure to be in a transit-oriented area (i.e. access to buses, distance to resources, etc). Talmadge Gateway, on the other hand, tackled the issue of accessibility by offering grocery trips/meal service programs due to its location in a food desert area and also providing in-center healthcare services . Both facilities were able to provide more comfort and programs to their residents.
Overall, the tour showed what some of the diverse experiences with housing look like in San Diego . Lack of housing/shelter is a challenge that can have a broad variety of impacts on those affected regardless of age, such as vulnerability to violence, food insecurity and problems with medical accessibility. However, these issues can hit harder on those of older age due to co-morbid conditions. I hope to be able to see affordable housing options in San Diego continue to improve with more complexes like Talmadge Gateway and North Park Seniors becoming available.