On this very special Saturday, I was able to visually experience the many different ways San Diego affordable housing teams are trying to combat senior homelessness. It was a big eye-opening day because I was completely unaware of how large this crisis was and how difficult it is to battle.
The very first establishment we entered was the Potiker Family Senior Residence where we got educated on the senior homelessness crisis through a presentation hosted by the the project managers of the space. We followed this by exploring the space and some things I noted were the big windows, large empty spaces by the elevator, and small rooms. Although, despite the size, one could still live comfortably as a room fits space for a built-in bathroom, kitchen area, a small eating area, a tv, dresser, and bed, as seen in the individual we dropped by at. We were privileged with the opportunity to celebrate Mr. Plunkett’s birthday with him and he expressed so much gratitude for both our company and for his living situation. He also showed us pictures of his mom with heart-warming details and memories of her. I carried his joyous energy with me for the rest of the day.
The next space we visited was not that far of a walk away. However, this space was extremely different in the sense of the age range for the people living here. They had members ages 19-95 years old! How incredible that they were able to save and support such a vast amount of individuals on the age range. One significant difference, was how dirty and not as kept up this place was, though. I went with those who walked up the stairs and at the place prior I didn’t really think about touching the hand rail, but here I was sure to not touch anything at all. There were no windows, dim lighting, the walls were dirty and stained with black marks, and the rooms were visibly really close together. We were given the chance to see firsthand how a room is laid out here as well. It was sad to see, but it was an even smaller room with a DIY stove top and wired shelves built in as kitchen cabinets. However, the members of this space shared equally as much gratitude and happiness for this space as in Potiker Residence. The director who met with us said that they aren’t very strict on who can and cannot enter the space because they are aware of the different stories and situations that may have contributed to their past struggles and they wouldn’t allow their past to interfere with their present well-being.
The following place had an extreme 360 turn from what we first visited, it was quite incredible. This next entity had their residents only pay 30% of their monthly income on rent. Since these individuals live on a set income, it is incredibly crucial to make housing affordable. In the past places we visited, they costsed around $675-750 of the ~$950 monthly income. To have an absolutely amazing housing opportunity for only ⅓ of one’s check was an amazing deal. Not to mention how huge the space was and how beautiful it was inside and out. The members we met here had previously lived on the streets of San Diego and developed prostate cancer. However, this was treated through the triage center that this housing offers. This building had saved and sustained his life, it was a tear-jerking story. He is now an ongoing advocate for the importance of senior affordable housing at rallies. The lady who gave us a tour had also mentioned how vital it is for him to share his story because when people hear that we’re going to house homeless and build homeless shelters, they have this mentality that it’ll ruin their community, they get scared and they riot against it because they don’t understand. As far as the space goes, I found it interesting how in the last space they said they couldn’t stop them from smoking, so the staircase was suffocated with smoke, whereas here they said “we can’t stop them, so we gave them a balcony.” Here is where we met this outstanding individual and he shared his room with us. It was insanely large compared to the other rooms. He had a beautiful kitchen set up, a bigger bathroom than I have at school or at home, and even had room for a work desk!
Next we visited a space that absolutely warmed my heart. It was built based on the hope to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ identifying folk in the elderly community. I had never thought about this specific population before so it was quite interesting. This building had so much intention behind it from the art outside, to the different colored levels, to the spaces and services provided to these people.
A few takeaways I will carry with me is:
1. Housing for everyone is so important and we definitely need more people to get creative to combat the senior homelessness crisis, at least in San Diego
2. Always be grateful for what we have. The little things matter. All the things matter
3. Check on any older adults you know because it’s rough living on a fixed income
4. Never stop learning about what we can do to make this world a better place for these people.
The very first establishment we entered was the Potiker Family Senior Residence where we got educated on the senior homelessness crisis through a presentation hosted by the the project managers of the space. We followed this by exploring the space and some things I noted were the big windows, large empty spaces by the elevator, and small rooms. Although, despite the size, one could still live comfortably as a room fits space for a built-in bathroom, kitchen area, a small eating area, a tv, dresser, and bed, as seen in the individual we dropped by at. We were privileged with the opportunity to celebrate Mr. Plunkett’s birthday with him and he expressed so much gratitude for both our company and for his living situation. He also showed us pictures of his mom with heart-warming details and memories of her. I carried his joyous energy with me for the rest of the day.
The next space we visited was not that far of a walk away. However, this space was extremely different in the sense of the age range for the people living here. They had members ages 19-95 years old! How incredible that they were able to save and support such a vast amount of individuals on the age range. One significant difference, was how dirty and not as kept up this place was, though. I went with those who walked up the stairs and at the place prior I didn’t really think about touching the hand rail, but here I was sure to not touch anything at all. There were no windows, dim lighting, the walls were dirty and stained with black marks, and the rooms were visibly really close together. We were given the chance to see firsthand how a room is laid out here as well. It was sad to see, but it was an even smaller room with a DIY stove top and wired shelves built in as kitchen cabinets. However, the members of this space shared equally as much gratitude and happiness for this space as in Potiker Residence. The director who met with us said that they aren’t very strict on who can and cannot enter the space because they are aware of the different stories and situations that may have contributed to their past struggles and they wouldn’t allow their past to interfere with their present well-being.
The following place had an extreme 360 turn from what we first visited, it was quite incredible. This next entity had their residents only pay 30% of their monthly income on rent. Since these individuals live on a set income, it is incredibly crucial to make housing affordable. In the past places we visited, they costsed around $675-750 of the ~$950 monthly income. To have an absolutely amazing housing opportunity for only ⅓ of one’s check was an amazing deal. Not to mention how huge the space was and how beautiful it was inside and out. The members we met here had previously lived on the streets of San Diego and developed prostate cancer. However, this was treated through the triage center that this housing offers. This building had saved and sustained his life, it was a tear-jerking story. He is now an ongoing advocate for the importance of senior affordable housing at rallies. The lady who gave us a tour had also mentioned how vital it is for him to share his story because when people hear that we’re going to house homeless and build homeless shelters, they have this mentality that it’ll ruin their community, they get scared and they riot against it because they don’t understand. As far as the space goes, I found it interesting how in the last space they said they couldn’t stop them from smoking, so the staircase was suffocated with smoke, whereas here they said “we can’t stop them, so we gave them a balcony.” Here is where we met this outstanding individual and he shared his room with us. It was insanely large compared to the other rooms. He had a beautiful kitchen set up, a bigger bathroom than I have at school or at home, and even had room for a work desk!
Next we visited a space that absolutely warmed my heart. It was built based on the hope to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ identifying folk in the elderly community. I had never thought about this specific population before so it was quite interesting. This building had so much intention behind it from the art outside, to the different colored levels, to the spaces and services provided to these people.
A few takeaways I will carry with me is:
1. Housing for everyone is so important and we definitely need more people to get creative to combat the senior homelessness crisis, at least in San Diego
2. Always be grateful for what we have. The little things matter. All the things matter
3. Check on any older adults you know because it’s rough living on a fixed income
4. Never stop learning about what we can do to make this world a better place for these people.