The Sadness Of Baby Boomers Becoming Homeless

They should be living the good life

Baby Boomers are becoming elderly.

There is a large segment of the population who have been dubbed the “Baby Boomers.” They are people who were born from 1946 to 1964. The oldest Baby Boomers turned 18 in the year that the youngest were born.

The oldest Baby Boomers now are turning 78 years old in 2024. The youngest are turning 60 and are facing retirement or may have already retired. They are now part of the older generation although there are people still living who are much older than the Baby Boomers.

It is sad for anyone to live in homelessness and being unsheltered without a decent place to live. It is unfortunate that there are many people who are of advanced ages who are suffering from homelessness.

A recent article talked about Baby Boomers becoming homeless.

The article was in Moneywise by Sarah Louis and was titled: “‘Unconscionable’: Baby boomers in America are becoming homeless at a rate ‘not seen since the Great Depression’ — here’s what’s driving this terrible trend.”

Many baby boomers across the country are now coming to terms with the hard reality that working for your entire adult life is no longer enough to guarantee you’ll have a roof over your head in your later years.

Thanks in part to a series of recessions, high housing costs and a shortage of affordable housing, older adults are now the fastest-growing segment of America’s homeless population, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, based on data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. [https://moneywise.com/news/economy/rate-of-homeless-baby-boomers-increasing]

It is unconscionable and very sad that people who should be living the easy life of retirement in their later years are becoming homeless. There are many older adults who have retired who are living a lifestyle not unlike what they had when they were younger. There are others who are not able to sustain that lifestyle who may experience homelessness.

Many older people are living out their last years upon the earth with family members or in senior citizen housing. If there is no one to take care of them and not enough money to live on their own, seniors may have to resort to being homeless.

People plan for retirement, but no one knows if they will have enough money (unless they have millions). They also do not know how long they will live and how long their money will have to last.

Children, grandchildren, and other family members should help the Baby Boomers, if possible, when assistance is needed. If that does not happen, the older people may find themselves homeless although some cities are trying to help.

Becoming old has its advantages and its challenges. Being homeless should not be one of the problems.

Thank you for reading.