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6 Recent national research predicts that the number of older adults experiencing homelessness will increase significantly over the next decade.16 This population has unique and often complex needs that require consideration in homeless system design.17 People Impacted by Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Histories of domestic violence and partner abuse are prevalent among individuals experiencing homelessness and can be the primary cause of homelessness. Survivors often lack the financial resources required for housing, as their employment history or dependable income may be limited. For individuals in families with children surveyed in the 2019 PIT Count, the most frequently reported cause of homelessness was family or domestic violence (26%). Six percent (6%) of respondents from the 2019 Homeless PIT Count survey reported currently experiencing domestic violence or abuse. There was no difference observed between unsheltered and sheltered respondents (6% each). Domestic violence did vary by gender, as 4% of male respondents reported current experience compared to 10% of females. While there were very few transgender and gender non-conforming respondents, 8% and 3% reported currently experiencing domestic violence, respectively. Twenty-six percent (26%) of 2019 PIT Count respondents reported a history of ever experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by a relative or by a person with whom they have lived, such as a spouse, partner, sibling, parent, or roommate. This also varied by gender, with 17% of male, 40% of female, 39% of transgender, and 16% of gender non-conforming respondents experiencing domestic violence in their lifetime. People with Behavioral Health Needs According to the 2019 PIT Count, adults with serious mental illness (SMI) comprised nearly one-third (32%) of Alameda County’s homeless population, compared to 29% in 2017 and 18% in 2015. As reflected in the overall homeless population, close to 80% of homeless adults with SMI were unsheltered. 12% of PIT survey respondents cited the primary event or condition that led to their current homelessness as mental health issues and 10% said substance use issues. 21% of survey respondents indicated that mental health services might have helped them retain their housing. Unsheltered veterans frequently cited mental health issues as the primary cause o f their homelessness (18%). An analysis of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Alameda County indicates that nearly half (48%) of those contacted by street outreach are vulnerable due to advanced age and/or one or more health or behavioral health conditions including mental health and substance use disorders.18 Structural racism and racial disparities in homelessness contribute to and exacerbate mental health needs. A wide body of research points to links between racial discrimination and negative effects on 16 “The Emerging Crisis of Aged Homelessness: Could Housing Solutions Be Funded by Avoidance of Excess Shelter, Hospital, and Nursing Home Costs?” (2019) | Culhane et al | University of Pennsylvania. https://aisp.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Emerging-Crisis-of-Aged-Homelessness-1.pdf 17 Geriatric Conditions in a Population-Based Sample of Older Homeless Adults (2017) | Kushel et al | The Gerontologist, Volume 57, Issue 4, August 2017, Pages 757–766. https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/57/4/757/2631974 18 Analysis of SHIE and HMIS data for unsheltered persons with a street outreach contact.