NH’s housing crisis is pushing more older adults to seek help

An emergency shelter in Portsmouth is reporting a rise in homelessness among older adults.

Addressing New Hampshire’s Commission on Aging Monday, Cross Roads House Director Will Arvelo said it’s a symptom of the statewide shortage of affordable housing.

Arvelo said many of the seniors turning to Cross Roads House for support are facing homelessness for the first time — often because a new landlord comes in and raises the rent beyond what they can afford. One recent shelter resident, he said, was a woman in her 80s who had previously been living in her car.

“These are people like you and I who, for no other reason than being poor and on a limited income, are forced to seek our assistance,” he said.

The older population is also putting greater strain on the shelter, Arvelo said. Staff are dealing with complex health needs and mobility challenges that they’re not necessarily equipped for.

Dee Pouliot, managing director of the Assisted Housing Division at New Hampshire Housing, told the commission that more than 1,500 people aged 62 or older are on the waitlist for a voucher to help pay for housing. In some cases, people can wait as long as five to seven years to get that assistance.

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