This Saturday we had the opportunity to tour four affordable housing options for seniors in San Diego. It was interesting to see the various creative ways in which organizations and individuals are trying to help solve the senior housing crisis, and it definitely made me think more about what I can do to help.
The first residence we toured was the Potiker Family Senior Residence. We got to tour a resident’s unit, and saw that the studios are fairly small but have enough room for a bed, table, TV stand, full bathroom, and mini kitchen. The unit belonged to Mr. Plunkett, who was enjoying his birthday this day. He was extremely grateful that we came and visited with him, and demonstrated that despite the small size of the unit, the most important thing is that he has somewhere stable to stay.
This sentiment was echoed in the next establishment we toured: The Sara Francis Hometel. This was a single-room occupancy hotel, and was fairly old and cramped. The manager mentioned that this is one of the most lenient SROs in San Diego in terms of accepting residents with few questions asked. Because of this, those that may not find the opportunity elsewhere are able to live here: some residents have in fact lived there for over 20 years! Again, a resident, Bertha, was generous enough to let us take a look at the room that she and her husband shared. It was smaller than the Potiker Center, and they had to share a bathroom with another resident. However, there was enough room for a bed, a small sink, and some things, and both Bertha and her husband said that they were extremely grateful to be there.
The following two residences were similarly heartwarming; in general, residents are happy to have a place to stay, no matter the state of the residence so long as it is safe and stable. The idea that so many seniors are constantly being shuffled around and displaced really touched me; I can’t imagine living the last years of my life having nowhere to land.
I am so happy that programs like the ones we visited exist, and that more are cropping up. But as most of the tour guides told us, what they are doing is only a drop in the bucket, and much more needs to be done.
The first residence we toured was the Potiker Family Senior Residence. We got to tour a resident’s unit, and saw that the studios are fairly small but have enough room for a bed, table, TV stand, full bathroom, and mini kitchen. The unit belonged to Mr. Plunkett, who was enjoying his birthday this day. He was extremely grateful that we came and visited with him, and demonstrated that despite the small size of the unit, the most important thing is that he has somewhere stable to stay.
This sentiment was echoed in the next establishment we toured: The Sara Francis Hometel. This was a single-room occupancy hotel, and was fairly old and cramped. The manager mentioned that this is one of the most lenient SROs in San Diego in terms of accepting residents with few questions asked. Because of this, those that may not find the opportunity elsewhere are able to live here: some residents have in fact lived there for over 20 years! Again, a resident, Bertha, was generous enough to let us take a look at the room that she and her husband shared. It was smaller than the Potiker Center, and they had to share a bathroom with another resident. However, there was enough room for a bed, a small sink, and some things, and both Bertha and her husband said that they were extremely grateful to be there.
The following two residences were similarly heartwarming; in general, residents are happy to have a place to stay, no matter the state of the residence so long as it is safe and stable. The idea that so many seniors are constantly being shuffled around and displaced really touched me; I can’t imagine living the last years of my life having nowhere to land.
I am so happy that programs like the ones we visited exist, and that more are cropping up. But as most of the tour guides told us, what they are doing is only a drop in the bucket, and much more needs to be done.