It is no secret that one of the populations most susceptible to falling victim to homelessness is senior citizens. In fact, adults who are 55 or older make up about 20% of the homeless population, which is about 146,000 people. It’s also getting to be a larger problem. Senior homelessness is growing faster than other age groups and is expected to accelerate as the American population ages overall.

Seniors can experience homelessness for the first time due to sudden life events that are more common at that age (death of a spouse, eviction, medical crisis). They’re made even more susceptible by fixed incomes like Social Security that cannot keep up with rising rents, health and mobility limitations that restrict access to shelters, and greater need for expensive medication and medical care.

It’s important that people remember when thinking about the homelessness crisis that homeless people are a lot more diverse in backgrounds than is typically imagined, and those different populations face different challenges requiring different solutions.