Adults over 50 are now the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, a trend researchers attribute to rising housing costs, fixed incomes, and an aging population. These demographic shifts have prompted policymakers to explore prevention strategies that keep vulnerable adults housed before they reach a crisis.
Fixed incomes, soaring rents, financial exploitation, medical emergencies, and the loss of a spouse can quickly push vulnerable seniors to the brink of losing their homes. While much of the nation’s response has focused on helping people after they become homeless, a California program suggests there may be a more effective approach: preventing homelessness before it starts.
A recent evaluation of California’s Home Safe Program found that 93.9% of participants who entered the program already housed were still housed when they exited. Researchers concluded that Home Safe demonstrates how “flexible, person-centered interventions” can stabilize housing before homelessness occurs, particularly for older adults who often fall outside traditional homelessness programs. Here’s what homeless prevention could look like across the nation, given this success.
Home Safe Focuses on Prevention Rather Than Crisis Response
California established the Home Safe Program in 2018 through the California Department of Social Services. Today, Home Safe operates in all 58 California counties, allowing local Adult Protective Services agencies to tailor interventions to the needs of their communities.
Rather than waiting until older adults lose their housing, the program identifies people who are already involved with Adult Protective Services (APS) and are experiencing or are at imminent risk of homelessness. Researchers noted that preventing an eviction with temporary financial assistance or landlord mediation often costs far less than emergency shelter, repeated hospitalizations, or long-term supportive housing. They also found that Home Safe preserved naturally occurring affordable housing by preventing evictions from rent-controlled units, allowing many participants to remain in homes they otherwise might have permanently lost.
Eligible participants receive individualized assistance designed to stabilize their housing before a crisis occurs. Services may include case management, landlord mediation, emergency financial assistance, eviction prevention, housing navigation, and other supports. Researchers found that this proactive approach filled a critical gap that many traditional homelessness programs had overlooked.
The Housing Outcomes Were Remarkably Strong
The evaluation conducted by the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative examined Home Safe’s statewide implementation between 2022 and 2025. Among participants who were already housed when they entered the program, 93.9% remained housed when services concluded.
For individuals who entered the program experiencing homelessness, 58.4% had secured housing by the time they exited. Researchers described these outcomes as evidence that flexible homelessness prevention strategies can produce meaningful results for vulnerable older adults and adults with disabilities. They also noted that preventing homelessness is often less disruptive (and potentially less expensive) than addressing it after someone has already lost stable housing.
Flexible Funding Was One of the Program’s Biggest Strengths
Unlike many narrowly defined assistance programs, Home Safe allows local agencies considerable flexibility in responding to each participant’s needs. Some clients require help paying overdue rent, while others benefit more from landlord mediation, deep cleaning services, transportation assistance, or intensive case management.
Counties can tailor interventions based on local housing markets and individual circumstances rather than following a rigid one-size-fits-all model. In some cases, relatively small interventions, such as paying several months of overdue rent or repairing unsafe living conditions, were enough to prevent an older adult from losing stable housing.
Evaluators identified this flexibility as one of the primary reasons for the program’s success. Local providers reported that being able to act quickly often prevented housing crises from escalating into homelessness.
The Program Serves Older Adults Often Missed by Other Systems
Researchers project that the number of Americans age 65 and older experiencing homelessness will continue to rise in the coming years as housing affordability challenges and demographic changes converge. That’s where Home Safe comes in.
Home Safe reached many older adults who had never experienced homelessness but faced imminent housing loss because of abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, serious illness, or the death of a spouse. Because Adult Protective Services workers often encounter people during moments of crisis, they were able to identify housing instability early and intervene before eviction or displacement occurred.
Home Safe Improved Coordination Between Agencies
Another benefit extended beyond individual housing outcomes. The evaluation found that Home Safe strengthened relationships between Adult Protective Services agencies, homeless service providers, healthcare organizations, and community partners. Historically, these systems often operated independently with limited communication. Home Safe encouraged greater collaboration, making it easier for agencies to coordinate services and share expertise. Researchers described this increased coordination as one of the program’s lasting structural benefits that may continue improving service delivery even beyond individual cases.
Housing Affordability Remains the Biggest Challenge
Despite its positive results, Home Safe cannot solve every housing problem. Researchers emphasized that even highly effective prevention programs cannot compensate for severe shortages of affordable housing, making continued investment in both housing supply and prevention services essential.
Even with financial assistance and case management, some participants struggled to locate affordable units because of extremely tight housing markets. Program staff also cited funding uncertainty as an obstacle to long-term planning. The report recommends continued investment in affordable housing alongside prevention programs if communities hope to achieve lasting reductions in homelessness.
Prevention May Be the Future of Housing Stability
California’s Home Safe Program demonstrates that homelessness prevention can produce measurable results when communities intervene early. Keeping 93.9% of already-housed participants in stable housing highlights the value of flexible funding, individualized services, and strong local partnerships.
Although affordable housing shortages remain a major challenge, the evaluation suggests that relatively modest interventions can prevent many housing crises from becoming long-term homelessness. As the number of older adults experiencing housing insecurity continues to grow across the country, prevention-focused programs may become an increasingly important part of the national conversation.
If other states can replicate California’s results, the future of homelessness policy may increasingly focus on keeping people housed instead of helping them recover after housing has already been lost.
Do you think communities should invest more in preventing homelessness before it starts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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