Rep. Maxine Waters [1], Chair of the House Financial Services Committee [2], has sent a letter [3] to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) [4] requesting that the Office conduct a review of the risks that seniors experiencing housing insecurity face and the federal programs that exist to prevent homelessness among this population. The request also urges the agency to identify racial and ethnic disparities in its review.
“A growing population of older adults live in poverty or grow old in shelters or on the street, which may have major implications for local and national housing, health care, and other social service infrastructures as they age,” wrote Chairwoman Waters [3]. “… I am writing to request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the aging population in America, their risks of experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, and federal programs that target older Americans and help prevent homelessness. I also request that this review identify any racial and ethnic disparities across the aging population and how federal programs address such disparities. Such a study is necessary to help our country prepare for demographic shifts and ensure that programs and services are able to meet the needs of this vulnerable group.”
The GAO provides Congress, the heads of executive agencies, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can be used to improve government and save taxpayers billions of dollars. The GAO’s work is done at the request of congressional committees or subcommittees, or is statutorily required by public laws or committee reports, per its Congressional Protocols.
In the letter to the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro [5], Comptroller General of the GAO, Rep. Waters highlights three major areas she would like the GAO to investigate:
- What is known about the number, characteristics, including race, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, and needs of older adults and the elderly experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness? How has this population changed over time, and what factors have contributed to these trends?
- What federal programs target assistance to address and prevent homelessness for older adults and elderly persons, including to address racial disparities among this population? What further steps, if any, could agencies take to help respond to the aging of the homeless population?
- What promising practices have communities used to equitably meet the housing needs of this population, including those implemented using supplemental funds received due to COVID relief laws?
Click here [3] to read the full letter from Rep. Waters to the GAO.