FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2025
New Report Highlights Urgent Need for Housing-Centered Health and Social Care Model for Aging Californians
The new report, “
Finding a Path to Support Aging in Place in California,” shows that most residents are low-income, face multiple chronic conditions and are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, with few having access to the full continuum of services available to them.
“As California’s aging population grows, so does the complexity of health and housing requirements and we need to be ready,” said Jeannee Parker Martin, President & CEO, LeadingAge California. “This research clearly shows that a more integrated, place-based approach to care cannot only improve outcomes but also deliver better value for public programs.”
A majority of older adults living in affordable senior housing rated their physical health as poor or fair, with nearly half also rating their mental or emotional health as poor or fair. Significant barriers exist due to a siloed system of care, leading to missed opportunities and avoidable health and human costs.
Funded with support from the
California Health Care Foundation and
The SCAN Foundation, the research sheds light on the critical challenges—and powerful opportunities—for helping low-income older Californians live independently and with dignity in their own homes. The report outlines a new model for delivering services through housing-based health and social care hubs, which are designed to coordinate care and reduce waste by integrating support services at the place where residents live.
Highlights of the report’s recommendations include:
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Expanding partnerships through CalAIM’s Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports to better align services with residents' needs.
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Leveraging California’s new Exclusively Aligned Enrollment Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) as a central financing mechanism for coordinated care.
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Increasing funding integration across key programs, including Medi-Cal, Medicare Advantage, HUD, and the Older Americans Act.
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Emphasizing the importance of training and deploying Community Health Workers directly within housing settings to provide culturally responsive, on-site care navigation and support.
“This report is a call to action,” said Madeleine Shea, PhD, Principal, HMA and Co-Author of the research report. “If we want to support aging in place and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations or institutional care, we must invest in coordinated, housing-centered models that meet people where they live.”
The research is in line with public sentiment, with national surveys showing that a majority of Americans desire to “age in place.” One such
survey by AARP found that over three-quarters (77%) of adults age 50 and older want to remain in their homes as they age.
