As I walked to the Geisel Loop (in the surprisingly sunny day), I thought about what we would do that day. I thought we would visit two or three affordable houses that were similar in terms of visuals and demographics, but I was so wrong! The tour of affordable options helped me realize that just in downtown San Diego, there are many senior housing options that can range in many levels. I was shocked to see that this range was vastly different in each of the eight tours as the Sara Francis Hometel was very minimalist in terms of small space and few amenities but because of the location, rent was still high in terms of the Federal Poverty Level. In contrast, even though the North Park Senior Apartments were a couple hundred dollars more, the immense difference was noticeable as North Park had a beautiful view, great neighborhood, environmentally friendly accommodations and was very aesthetically pleasing as seen in the picture above. From the outside, some of the housing options were also in the category of “pleasing to look at” as I did not even know the building were affordable housing options because they blended right into the modern architecture that makes up downtown La Jolla.
No matter how nice the housing options looked or how the prices varied, one thing that was certain was it was still a high price to pay for a senior who is below the poverty level. Admirably, the staff workers at the housings were very passionate about helping the seniors live better lives such as through engaging them with activities, volunteering, and empowerment. They acknowledged how it is unfair for the seniors as they do not get enough income to generate better options and that the Elder Index is a better county specific measure to use in order to cover just basic expenses of an elder adult. I am glad to know that there are amazing people out there that are dedicating their careers and time to help this growing population and this tour shows us students that not only will this population need more and more help in the future but that we must also be educated and spread our knowledge and skills to take the next step in improving affordable care.
No matter how nice the housing options looked or how the prices varied, one thing that was certain was it was still a high price to pay for a senior who is below the poverty level. Admirably, the staff workers at the housings were very passionate about helping the seniors live better lives such as through engaging them with activities, volunteering, and empowerment. They acknowledged how it is unfair for the seniors as they do not get enough income to generate better options and that the Elder Index is a better county specific measure to use in order to cover just basic expenses of an elder adult. I am glad to know that there are amazing people out there that are dedicating their careers and time to help this growing population and this tour shows us students that not only will this population need more and more help in the future but that we must also be educated and spread our knowledge and skills to take the next step in improving affordable care.