HOUSING PROBLEM OF SENIORS/ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS
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By Mr.C.G.DESAI
(In the above photograph Chandravadan G Desai is seen talking (standing left) to other Chaubara Members Jayantilal D Shah(standing right) and Mehta (standing in the middle))
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In the Silicon Valley housing market, supply is vastly exceeded by demand, keeping costs high but as our population ages, the need for service-enriched, low –cost housing only increases. It is expected that in the next few years, the number of seniors who rent will double; the number of seniors needing rental housing here will grow up by more than 2000 per years over the next 15 years, a rate increase twice as fast as renters under the age of 55. Considering that today there are only 2200 truly affordable rentals in the County, the shortage of affordable rentals for low –income seniors is extreme.

The likelihood of living alone increases with age and 25% of seniors 65 or older live alone, yet life lived alone is a major factor associated with risk of illness, injury and premature institutionalization. Living alone is often associated with isolation and depression and suicide is one of the leading consequences of depression. Sadly, suicide per capita is highest among seniors and one of the 10 leading causes of death. One of the seniors living at an organization for shared accommodation in Sunnyvale says:” It is good to have housemates who are also friends. We try to help each other in tough times.”

In Santa Clara County, California, tens of thousand of men and women aged sixty and older have low (and often fixed) incomes that render them unable to meet the basic needs of life without public or private assistance. As our population ages, new challenges appear: declining incomes are evident in more than half of all senior citizens.

Fortunately compassion and creativity combine in one public benefit organization named as SENIOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS. It is the first non-profit organization in the Nation to explore home sharing as a solution for seniors unable to afford housing and who do not wish to live alone. THEIR senior Group Residence Program offers affordable housing for independently functioning seniors in eight single-family homes in SAN JOSE, LOS GATOS, CAMPBELL, and SUNNYVALE AND SANTA CLARA. They are nice homes, in safe, pleasant neighborhoods and just as important as the housing itself. SENIOR Housing Solutions also provides a social worker to support our residents in their group living environment and to help gain access to needed social and health services.

The main aim of this non-profit organization is to serve seniors whose income is less than $1000 a month with a commitment to keeping rents at 30% of income; currently rent for these men and women (including utilities, phone and cable television) averages just $295 a month.

The residents staying at present have expressed profound satisfaction. The Organization is run with the support of United Way, various community foundations, individual donations corporations, local governments, etc.

One can get more details about SENIOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS on Phone NO.408-416-0271 or on website www.SrHousingSolutions.org
(Writer is a member of The Ageing Council of Santa Clara County and was also advisor to the Planning Commission of India.)
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