“Three months ago I never thought I’d be dumpster diving,” Edward told me right before I sat down. Both he and his wife Anita live homeless in a park in Glendale, California.
Edward and Anita used to make a living telephone soliciting, but when work slowed down, they could not afford to pay for the hotel room they were living in. Luckily, at the time, Glendale was operating a winter shelter program. When that program closed, Edward and Anita, and about 80 others ended up homeless.
Edward and Anita talk about a small community of homeless friends that have banned together to help each other. Anita adds “I get $473 a month from social security and no body can live on $473.”
The boomer generation is now reaching their senior years. This last economic crash destroyed most people’s hope for retirement. The real truth is, we are going to see a lot more older homeless people like Edward and Anita, who even with public assistance, cannot afford adequate housing.
