Older adults reentering our communities from jail or prison need access to affordable and accessible housing in order to be successful. Yet, they face even greater challenges than most low-income older adults to find the housing they need, despite the fact that parole hearings often require a housing plan as a pre-condition to release.
Older adults exiting jail or prison may have trouble reuniting with their families and communities, and are often unable to find landlords willing to rent to them or units that they can afford. For individuals who need assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – a need faced by nearly half of older adults – finding accessible housing becomes insurmountable. Incarceration exacerbates physical, mental, and cognitive conditions, resulting in a high incidence of disability among incarcerated older adults. The inability to find housing that is paired with needed supports puts disabled older adults leaving incarceration at higher risk of homelessness or institutionalization.
In a promising development, California, along with several other states, have begun using Medicaid demonstrations to provide housing-related assistance to older adults transitioning from incarceration into the community. This can include housing navigation, home modifications to create accessibility, tenancy-sustaining services, and short-term (up to six-months) rental assistance. This short-term housing support has the potential to provide an important bridge to more permanent, affordable housing, such as a federally subsidized housing voucher.
Unfortunately, lack of coordination between housing and health sectors often translates into temporary housing with a bridge to nowhere. One innovative practice is the joint effort by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Administration for Community Living to help states develop cross-sector collaborations, bringing together housing and services through the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator Program.
While stable housing is critical, older disabled adults who have difficulty performing ADLs need additional supports to successfully find and maintain community-based housing post-incarceration. When ADL needs are unmet, older adults face an increased risk of poor outcomes including frequent hospitalization, homelessness, and institutional placement.
Given the high incidence of chronic conditions among incarcerated older adults, including physical, mental, and cognitive disabilities, housing supports provided at reentry should be coupled with Medicaid-funded personal care and other Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS). States seeking Medicaid demonstrations for their incarcerated populations should require screening for HCBS prior to release and include HCBS navigation and coordination in the reentry process.
By leveraging Medicaid demonstrations to address both the economic and care needs of older adults upon reentry, states can ensure access to stable, integrated housing, and a successful transition from incarceration to the community.
Justice in Aging created an issue brief discussing promising practices in connecting older adults reentering our communities with a range of supports including not only housing, but also health care and economic security benefits to ensure their ability to meet their needs and succeed in our communities. Get the full brief here.