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MATTER OF FACT. FOR MANY OLDER ADULTS LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME, IT’S BECOME VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO AFFORD HOUSING. THAT’S DUE TO TWO FACTORS A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INFLATION. ON A SINGLE NIGHT IN 2024, ABOUT 20% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES WERE 55 AND OLDER. ONE CITY, SEEING THIS IN REAL TIME IS PHOENIX. IT’S A PLACE MANY GO TO ENJOY RETIREMENT, BUT AT ONE POINT IN 2024, NEARLY 2000 ADULTS AGE 55 AND OLDER WERE UNHOUSED IN MARICOPA COUNTY. OUR CORRESPONDENT JESS GOMEZ TRAVELED TO PHOENIX AS THE CITY, THE STATE AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY RACE TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS. WHEN I MOVED IN HERE, I COULDN’T QUIT SMILING. 65 YEAR OLD ABBY MORRISON, SETTLING INTO HER NEW ROOM AT THE HAVEN. I CLEANED MY ROOM MYSELF. I MADE MY OWN BED. I DO EVERYTHING WITH THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK. CAN YOU MAKE IT SAY 11:10? WHILE IT SOUNDS LIKE A RETIREMENT HOME, THE HAVEN IS MARICOPA COUNTY’S NEWEST HOMELESS SHELTER. THE ONCE RUNDOWN MOTEL CONVERTED INTO A 155 ROOM FACILITY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS WITH NO PLACE TO GO. I’VE WORKED ALMOST EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE. I’VE BEEN WORKING SINCE I WAS 16. YOUR ESSENTIALS THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ARE. ELEVATOR BED, OF COURSE, BUT AFTER A STROKE AND THEN A HEART ATTACK, ABBY COULDN’T WORK OR AFFORD HER RENT. THEY CAME IN AND SAID, WE’RE RAISING YOUR RENT, AND WE’RE DOUBLING IT. WE COULDN’T AFFORD IT. AND THEY GAVE US THREE DAYS TO GET OUT. ABBY ISN’T ALONE. LANDLORDS IN MARICOPA COUNTY FILING A RECORD NUMBER OF EVICTIONS LAST YEAR, NEARLY 90,000 OF THEM. ADDING TO THE SKYROCKETING NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE WITH NO PLACE TO LIVE. WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE ON THE STREETS THAN WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE IN THIS SHELTER. WE’RE TURNING AWAY PEOPLE. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY SINGLE DAY AT CASS CENTRAL ARIZONA SHELTER SERVICES, WHICH OPERATES THE STATE’S LARGEST SHELTER, AND THE HAVEN, CEO, NATHAN SMITH. HE SAYS THE NUMBER OF SENIORS KICKED INTO HOMELESSNESS HERE HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED SINCE 2020. THERE’S USUALLY SOME KIND OF BREAKDOWN THAT DOESN’T ALLOW FOR THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT HOMELESSNESS FIGHTER TO KICK IN, WHICH IS THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. AND SO THEN THEY HAVE TO RELY ON THIS SYSTEM OF SERVICE. USUALLY OUR PATIENTS SET UP CAMP AND ON NONPROFITS LIKE CIRCLE THE CITY, WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL CARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT ONLY CHRONICALLY HOMELESS. HERE, I’M GOING TO TOUCH YOUR LEG. IS THAT ALL RIGHT? BUT FOR THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. TELL ME ABOUT THE HEADACHES. MEDICAL DIRECTOR DOCTOR JACK PALMER SAYS MORE OLDER ADULTS MEAN MORE CHALLENGES. IF YOU’VE ALREADY EVEN HAVE EARLY SIGNS OF DEMENTIA OR MEMORY IMPAIRMENT, BEING ON THE STREET IN JUST THE STRESS OF THOSE THINGS, THOSE CONDITIONS OF DEMENTIA AND MEMORY IMPAIRMENT SEEM TO SPIRAL VERY RAPIDLY. THIS WILL BE THEIR THEIR HOME. RACHEL MILNER IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE PHOENIX OFFICE OF THE HOMELESS SOLUTIONS. SENIORS IN OUR EMERGENCY CRISIS SITUATION MIGHT NOT HAVE THE SAME OPTIONS AS OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO INCREASE THEIR INCOME THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE HOUSING OPTIONS THAT WILL MEET THEIR NEEDS WITH HELP FROM AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS, THE CITY REMODELING ANOTHER MOTEL NEXT DOOR TO THE HAVEN, 126 APARTMENTS WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE TO LOW INCOME SENIORS FOR LONG-TERM RENTALS. WE NEED TO HELP PEOPLE EXIT QUICKLY INTO HOUSING. HOUSING IS WHAT IS GOING TO END SOMEONE’S HOMELESSNESS. HOUSING WITH AN INNOVATIVE TWIST AT THE COMPANY, STEEL AND SPARK, THEY’RE CONVERTING OLD SHIPPING CONTAINERS INTO SUSTAINABLE LIVING SPACES FOR A NEW SENIOR COMMUNITY. THERE’S TREES THAT WRAP THE ENTIRE PARCEL. BUSINESS PARTNERS BRIAN STARK AND KATHLEEN SANTIN. IT REALLY CAME OUT OF COVID. HOW DO WE QUICKLY GET SPACE INTO YOUR BACKYARD? AND FROM THERE, THE CITY CALLED US AND SAID, HEY, HOW DO WE DO THIS FOR HOMELESS? IT’S 160FT AND HAS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED RIGHT OFF THE STREET. THE 100 UNITS POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES AND SOLAR ENERGY. SMALLER SPACES WILL BE USED FOR SHORT TERM HOUSING, LARGER APARTMENTS AVAILABLE FOR LONG-TERM RENTALS FOR LOW INCOME SENIORS. STEEL AND SPARK ALREADY PROVIDING VERSIONS OF THE REPURPOSED CONTAINERS TO A HANDFUL OF CITY SHELTERS. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE HAVEN’T BEEN HOMELESS THEIR ENTIRE LIVES, AND BECAUSE OF RISING COSTS, THEY’RE FINDING. WE’RE FINDING 70 YEAR OLD WOMEN LIVING IN TENTS, SO IT’S GREAT TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS. AND IT READS, YOU GOT THIS, YOU GOT THIS. A SPECIAL MESSAGE OF HOPE IN EACH UNIT BACK AT THE HAVEN, FORMER SHERIFF’S OFFICER AND TRUCK DRIVER JOHN HOFFMAN. HE COULD USE A LITTLE OF THAT HOPE. WHY AM I HERE? I DON’T BELONG HERE. IT TOOK A LOT OF ADJUSTING. WE DON’T NEED MORE SHELTERS. WE NEED MORE HOUSING. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE JUST BEING PROACTIVE. MORE THAN JUST HOUSING. ABBY MORRISON WANTS A HOME. I WANT A PLACE TO LIVE. I WANT A PLACE WHERE MY NIECE AND MY NEPHEWS CAN COME AND SEE ME. COME OVER FOR DINNER. I’M READY FOR A NORMAL LIFE. HAVE A GOOD DAY. ABBY. YOU TOO. IN PHOENIX