A number of senior citizens in South Florida are experiencing homelessness, forcing them to sleep inside their cars.
Soaring rents and a lack of affordable housing has forced some of those in the Sunshine State to spend their twilight years sleeping rough.
Carolyn Simon is one of those, having resorted to sleeping upright in the front seat of her car for two months due to not being able to afford a place to live.
She spoke with WSVN about her troubles in May, revealing she is reliant on social security for money and parks up inside well-lit parking to catch some shuteye.
Demonstrating her sleeping stance to the outlet, the 78-year-old said: ‘Since I’ve been here, I sleep here in this seat, scrunched down.
‘My ankles and legs are swollen from having to sit all the time. I buy jug water, it’s cheaper. And I eat one meal a day, for $2.02, and then I get a free senior drink.’
Carolyn resorted to showering at a nearby gym thanks to her Medicare plan which gets her inside the facility for free.
She added: ‘It can happen to anyone. Don’t think it can’t, because I never thought about it.’
Soaring rents and a lack of affordable housing has forced some of those in the Sunshine State to spend their twilight years sleeping rough. Pictured: A file photo of Ybor City, Tampa Bay, Florida
Carolyn Simon, seen here, resorted to sleeping upright in the front seat of her for two months due to not being able to afford a place to live
Carolyn said she is reliant on social security and parks up inside well-lit parking to catch some shuteye
In 2019, the amount of people aged 65 and over accounted for almost eight percent of the homeless population in Miami-Dade County, the Homeless Trust said.
That number had nearly doubled to a shocking 14 percent in 2024, with projections indicating it could hit 22 percent by the year 2030.
In January of this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a report that homelessness had reached a record high in 2024.
Over 770,000 had experienced homeless on a single night in 2024, an increase of around 18 percent compared to 2023.
The report found that 146,000 found that older adults had experienced homelessness, an increase of six percent.
Maria Navarro, another elderly Florida resident like Carolyn, spoke with CBS News last October, revealing how despite working seven days a week, she still has to sleep in her car.
She told the outlet it is very depressing at times and that instead of enjoying retirement she uses a dumpster area to shower using buckets.
Maria works at a mall as a security guard near where she sleeps every night, but the money is still not enough to secure housing, she added.
A follow up story revealed that she moved into a one-bedroom apartment in a 55 and over community
Maria Navarro spoke with CBS News last October, highlighting the same issue. Despite working seven days a week, she still has to sleep in her car
Maria works at a mall near where she sleeps every night, but the money is still not enough to secure housing
The Housing and Social Services Manager for the City of Pompano Beach, Cassandra Rhett, said that soaring rents was forcing the elderly onto the streets.
She said: ‘The rent is skyrocketed. That’s a main factor of why all these seniors are on the street, is because they cannot afford the rent.’
Ron Book, Chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, said homeless seniors are among the most vulnerable.
He told the outlet: ‘The face of homelessness has changed. I want people in our community to think about their mothers, and their grandmothers, and their grandfathers being homeless for the first time.
After Carolyn’s story was aired last month, local leaders banded together to help her find accommodation.
She has now moved into a one-bedroom apartment in a 55 and over community.
Following the move, Carolyn said: ‘It’s unbelievable. I mean, I’m in shock. Everything’s moved so fast, everybody’s been so wonderful.’
The rent for the apartment is $1,200 a month, but the Broward County’s Elderly and Veterans Services said they would help her with $300 a month, making it feasible.
In January of this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said that homelessness had reached a record high in 2024
A makeshift homeless camp is seen on the streets of Florida above
She added: ‘I still love my car. My mechanic tells me, “You got to get rid of it, Carolyn.” I says, “You gonna get rid of me ’cause I’m old?” It goes where I go.’
