1.
Policy
Brief
2015
California’s Aging Population: Elderly Women & Affordable Housing
Marlene
Garcia
Marleneg6@UCLA.edu
University
of
California
Los
Angeles
Background
Living
in
decent,
affordable,
and
reasonably
located
housing
is
one
of
the
most
important
determinates
of
well-­‐being
for
every
Californian.
Housing
serves
as
a
basic
foundation
in
regulating
access
to
work,
education,
recreation,
and
food.
Unfortunately,
housing
in
California
is
extremely
expensive.
But
this
is
not
the
only
problem
facing
California
currently,
the
Baby
Boomer
population
is
increasing
drastically,
social
security
is
facing
financial
challenges,
and
more
elder
women
are
out
aging
men.
The
senior
population
is
expected
to
grow
by
nearly
two-­‐thirds
in
the
next
two
decades,
this
change
will
have
a
huge
affect
on
California’s
economy,
including
but
not
limited
to
retirement,
Medicare,
and
housing.
Elderly
women
specifically
are
the
most
vulnerable
to
California’s
rapidly
changing
economy.
Why
Women?
Most
seniors
are
women,
who
represent
a
larger
share
of
the
older
senior
population
groups
(age
70
and
up).
Women
tend
to
accumulate
less
retirement
wealth
than
men
because
of
lower
earnings
and
careers
shortened
by
caregiving
responsibilities,
and
are
more
likely
to
be
single
or
widowed
in
old
age.
Women
in
an
aging
society
are
placed
in
a
vulnerable
spot.
“California’s
women,
at
birth,
can
generally
expect
to
live
longer
than
their
male
counterparts
by
approximately
five
years-­‐
women
to
age
82.5
and
men
to
age
77.5”
(CRB).
“Single
female
heads
of
household
age
65
and
over
have
higher
rates
of
economic
insecurity
than
similar
single
male
heads
of
household”
(Padilla-­‐Frausto
&
Wallace).
Future
Considerations
• Due
to
medical
advancements
the
elderly
are
living
longer
than
ever
before
• Social
Security
faces
a
financial
challenge
• Many
seniors
want
to
age
in
place
• California
will
increasingly
become
majority
minority,
who
will
buy
houses?
• California
now
has
one
of
the
toughest
equal
pay
laws
in
the
country
Policy
Suggestions
Increase
housing
programs
for
elders,
keeping
in
mind
that
the
main
goal
for
the
elderly
is
to
age
in
place
and
remain
in
their
home.
Ageism
consequences
lead
the
public
to
believe
that
the
elderly
cannot
provide
for
themselves.
But
this
view
is
wrong,
elders
do
have
the
ability
to
contribute
greatly
to
society.
Elder
women,
for
example
have
continued
to
contribute
their
time
as
caregivers
towards
their
grandchildren,
this
type
of
work
should
be
recognized
by
the
government
an
compensated
as
real
work.
References
Padilla-­‐Frausto,
Imelda
&
Wallace,
Steven
P.
“The
Hidden
Poor.”
UCLA
Center
for
Health
and
Policy
Research.
August
2015.
California
Research
Bureau
(CRB).
“Psychosocial
and
Economic
Health
of
Older,
Nonpartnered
Women
in
California.”
Healthy
Aging
Series.
March
2014.