Reducing homelessness for older Ohioans

People age 50 and older represent the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in the United States, according to federal data. As baby boomers and members of Generation X age, that number is expected to rise. A common cause? Rent prices.

The Age-Friendly Innovation Center (AFIC) at The Ohio State University is looking for a solution. AFIC works to improve the social, built and service environments that support inclusive community livability for people of all ages and abilities. 

Across 2024 and 2025, AFIC, together with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA), piloted a small study that provided shallow subsidies to older renters.

“The gold standard we talk about with rent is 30%,” said Marisa Sheldon, AFIC’s director. “You want to be paying less than 30% of your income on housing costs, at any age. That is not the reality for many older adults in our community.”

Study participants were paying more than 50% of their income on rent. The participant group was randomly split; one group would receive the subsidy, and one would not. Each month for a year, $330 was sent directly to the landlords of participants receiving the subsidy.

Researchers looked at two questions: Does the subsidy impact housing insecurity for participants, and does the subsidy impact the well-being of participants?

Sheldon said that many participants that received the subsidy talked about their ability to meet their basic needs.

“One participant, who did receive the subsidy, said, ‘Before this, I was deciding between toilet paper and soap. I couldn’t go without toilet paper, so I went without soap. Now I can afford them both.’”

Katie Calhoun, an assistant professor in the College of Social Work, noted that the subsidy helped combat social isolation. 

“Social isolation has a huge impact on health,” she said. “Being able to maintain relationships, whether family or friends, often costs money. Having resources that allow for that is so important.” 

One anecdote stuck in her mind. 

“One person talked about how they used to go to the Golden Corral, but as prices rise everywhere, the buffet price went up $3,” she said. “They couldn’t afford that activity with friends. It was such a loss for them.”

One of the more surprising findings in the study was a significant decrease in emergency department visits for the subsidy group. At the beginning of the study, 75% of the subsidy group had been to an emergency department at least once in the previous six months. At the 11-month follow-up, that number had fallen to 20%. This decrease was not seen in the group that did not receive the subsidy.

“The participants are all Medicare and Medicaid eligible,” Sheldon said. “Insurance companies look at those numbers. A person going to the ER or being readmitted to the hospital after hospitalization is costly and often has a cascading effect on their health. The implications could be huge for our health care system. Making an impact on that is powerful.”

By working with COAAA, Sheldon and Calhoun aim to lay a foundation for national change.

“Through a federal mandate, every American is covered by an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) through the Older Americans Act,” Sheldon said. By partnering with the central Ohio regional agency, they believe “this is something that could impact that entire country, through the AAA system. We know through the national organization, USAging, that housing insecurity and homelessness are challenge points area agencies across the country are seeing more and more.”

“We’re hoping that this research and evidence we’re building will support folks across the country,” Calhoun said.

Sheldon is grateful to Calhoun for her expertise, which she credits as a foundation for the study. AFIC looks at the life of older adults holistically, she said. Housing, transportation and food are among the many factors that impact the community.

“We can’t be experts in everything,” she said. “Having partners like Katie, who is an expert on housing, is such a gift. That’s the beautiful thing about being at Ohio State. We have experts on everything.”