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<\/p>\nPor Dave Fidlin<\/p>\n
As she looks in the rearview mirror of the long and winding path she has traversed \u2014 literally and figuratively \u2014 Esmeralda Sanchez is the first to admit she has encountered her share of bumpy roads.<\/p>\n
But as she looks to the future, Sanchez, who came to San Diego early in 2018 after living in a number of other locales in the mainland U.S. and her native Puerto Rico, has one overarching goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want something stable,\u201d Sanchez said, who is currently enrolled in Serving Seniors\u2019 Transitional Housing Program. \u201cWhen I get up in the morning, I want to have a purpose. I want to have pride in what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanchez, who speaks openly of her past, was sexually assaulted as a child, joined a gang as she came of age and ultimately was incarcerated. In more recent times, she has grappled with homelessness. But she said she does not want her past to define her.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being here at age 71 \u2014 that\u2019s an incredible gift in and of itself,\u201d Sanchez said. In recent months, she has been living in one of Serving Seniors\u2019 facilities, the Sara Frances Hometel in East Village.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designates each May as Older Adults Month. In San Diego, the campaign serves a number of purposes \u2014 including raising awareness of the growing trend of seniors winding up homeless.<\/p>\n
There is an important statistic about San Diego\u2019s homeless epidemic that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, said Paul Downey, CEO and president of Serving Seniors.<\/p>\n
Pointing to the most recent sets of numbers, Downey said about 30% of the city\u2019s homeless population is considered an older adult \u2014 as in age 50 and up.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI haven\u2019t seen anything that reveals those numbers are going to go down appreciably,\u201d Downey said. \u201cThat\u2019s a challenge, to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n
One reason, in Downey\u2019s estimation, for the perceived burial of data is the way statistical homeless data is reported on a surface level. While youth-related statistics are broken out, the adult numbers could be lumped together without a deeper dive.<\/p>\n
Downey said the needs of an 18-year-old homeless person are starkly different from those of a 68-year-old homeless person, even though both, technically, are adults.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very different population and needs more spotlight on it,\u201d Downey said of the needs of the city\u2019s senior-age homeless community.<\/p>\n
Sanchez and others enrolled in the Serving Seniors program are provided resources to help pave a brighter, sustainable path ahead, Downey said. He points to a 92% success rate in permanent housing as a demonstration of the program\u2019s effectiveness.<\/p>\n
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Downey said the overwhelming majority of homeless seniors wind up in the situation because of a serious issue \u2014 usually a financial hardship.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething bad typically happened,\u201d Downey said. \u201cSomething caused that tumble into homelessness, and it\u2019s usually economic related.\u201d<\/p>\n
The good news, Downey said, is the program\u2019s enrollees typically want to make meaningful changes in their lives \u2014 and do whatever is necessary to make those positive strides happen.<\/p>\n
To that end, Serving Seniors offers up a range of services, including an assigned case manager who provides one-on-one support. Also offered up are housing, meals, health services and counseling.<\/p>\n
As she ponders the breadth of services she has been offered throughout her stay at Sara Frances, Sanchez said she is overflowing with gratitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that they offer an excellent service,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cThey do it with compassion and dignity. They are definitely in the business of helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Downey said each participant\u2019s success is worthy of celebration. But the long \u2014 and growing \u2014 waiting list for transitional housing through the program remains a concern. In a much broader picture, so, too, is the continued need for permanent affordable housing across all age groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a couple in the pipeline that we\u2019re working on,\u201d Downey said when asked about additional housing units under the organization\u2019s auspices. \u201cWe need units \u2014 we need affordable units. We need to look at affordable housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanchez, who describes herself as an artist at heart who fully embraces the bohemian lifestyle, said she feels a renewed sense of purpose in her life as she takes steps back toward getting on her feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI keep plugging along,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m still here, I\u2019m still alive. I say, \u2018Enjoy your life as long as you can. Do what you need to do to keep you whole.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n