The silent crisis: California’s senior homeless epidemic

OPINION – “A child on the block” is what crack cocaine smokers up and down the streets of Skid Row would yell out to each other as I walked my daughter down San Julian every morning, just trying to find resources to stay alive. I wasn’t just babysitting my daughter—I was also babysitting a compulsive drug addiction that could rival any rockstar from the 1960s and 1970s on a world tour, jealous of the access I had to the drug. And I was homeless.

Though struggling with their struggles, most of the men I encountered were respectful toward me and my daughter as we walked by. These older African American men and some women, many of whom were seniors, painted a stark contrast to the stereotype of the homeless population. At the time, no one was looking at the fact that these weren’t just “homeless people”—they were older African American men and women, many of whom had once worked and had businesses.

I practically raised my daughter on the streets, in shelters, and with those who opened their homes to us along the way. I grew up in Detroit, dropped out of school, and became a single parent father to my daughter, Erica. We traveled across the country for nearly twenty years, navigating the harsh realities of homelessness before I found my purpose as a social impact documentary filmmaker.

Today, it is time to shine a light on a growing crisis in California: senior homelessness. Seniors aged 55 and older are now the fastest-growing homeless population in the state. In California alone, about 25% of the homeless population is aged 55 and older. The number rises as many older adults face rising housing costs, fixed incomes, and a lack of affordable healthcare rise as many older adults struggle with rising housing costs, fixed incomes, and a lack of affordable healthcare. These individuals once worked, raised families, and contributed to society—but now, they live on the streets, in shelters, or in cars, left behind by a failed system.

No, this new group of homeless seniors isn’t many African American males standing on the corner of 5th and Broadway with a crack pipe in their mouth at 2:45 AM anymore. But these older men and women of all races, who are struggling with issues like limited incomes, lack of affordable housing, and aging-related health problems, deserve our attention, as they represent a silent crisis that is only growing worse.

In addition to the struggles these seniors face, the legal landscape around homelessness adds another layer of complexity. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Martin v. City of Boise (2018) declared that it is unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping in public when there are no available shelter options. This decision has had a significant impact, reaffirming that cities must provide adequate alternatives for homeless individuals before they can enforce laws against sleeping in public spaces. This ruling is especially crucial for seniors who are often left with nowhere to go, making them more vulnerable to the legal system and further neglect.

In this campaign, I have done everything from commending Mayor Karen Bass for declaring homelessness a state of emergency on her first day in office to correcting Elon Musk’s opinion about his comment that, in most cases, homelessness was a “lie.” We must challenge these misconceptions and shed light on the systemic factors contributing to homelessness—especially for our seniors.

To make a difference, I have contributed by launching a global campaign called Mandate Future Politicians to Prioritize Homelessness. One of the opinion pieces I wrote as part of this campaign is now featured in an academic journal on a scholarly platform, underscoring the importance of addressing homelessness at the policy level. This campaign aims to reach across the bipartisan field and encourage politicians to prioritize homelessness, especially as we head into the midterms. Now that the election is over, this portion of the campaign is aimed directly at the voters of California. We must demand that voters prioritize homelessness—particularly senior homelessness— just as much as key issues like the economy, abortion, and immigration. The time to act is now.

Eric Protein Moseley is a Social Impact documentary Filmmaker working on the documentary Understanding the Spectrum: Exploring the Classes of Homelessness.