LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The national rise in senior homelessness is increasingly visible in Central Kentucky, with more elderly individuals finding themselves without stable housing.
Linda Feck, 77, and Terrence Tompkins, 69, both residents of a Lexington shelter, shared their experiences of becoming homeless due to unforeseen circumstances and economic challenges.
"I had no place to go but the streets," Feck said. After losing her home and family, she found herself with nowhere to turn.
Similarly, Tompkins recounted his history of paying rent reliably before suddenly finding himself without a home.
"Over the years, only twice in my life I've failed to pay rent. Only twice," he said.
Despite their hardships, Feck teared up thinking of the shelter's supportive community.
"Everybody just takes you under their wings and they pray with you, they laugh with you and they cry with you," she said.
At Lighthouse Ministries in Lexington, Clean Start ministry coordinator Linda Golebiewski has observed an increase in seniors seeking help.
"In the dining room, you see more gray hair than we had seen previously," she said. Many seniors live in cars or "couch surf" to avoid the streets.
Nationwide, the National Alliance to End Homelessness reports over 130,000 people aged 55 and older are unhoused. This figure is predicted to triple by 2030.
The alliance explains one factor driving this crisis is the disparity between fixed incomes and rising living costs.
The average monthly Social Security check is just under $2,000, while the average one-bedroom apartment rents for over $1,600, leaving minimal funds for essentials like food and medicine.
Amid these challenges, Feck and Tompkins expressed gratitude for the support from local shelters.
"These people have taken me in and just treated me so well," Feck said.
Both are hopeful for more resources and support for seniors in need.
"I'm just gonna keep trying and maybe somewhere along the way someone will help me," Tompkins said.
