A conversation with Robin Kahan-Berman, Vice President of Occupational Therapy at Project Renewal, a New York City-based nonprofit that provides housing, health care, and employment opportunities to New Yorkers who have experienced homelessness. The organization is on the leading edge of incorporating occupational therapy (OT) across its shelters and housing programs, including its Helping Older People Engage (HOPE) initiative. In this condensed interview, she explains the power of OT to increase the chances that clients stay housed even as they encounter the health and cognitive challenges associated with aging – and the journey to build and sustain such a substantial OT practice within the homelessness sector.

Cross-sector collaboration is essential to addressing the growing crisis of older adult homelessness. The partners listed in this document represent organizations working at the intersection of homelessness, aging, and healthcare—each bringing unique capabilities that can help prevent housing loss, support older adults in crisis, and create pathways to long‑term stability. Together, these systems form the broad network needed to effectively prevent, resolve, and ultimately end homelessness for older adults.

This factsheet provides an overview of what the numbers are saying about the growing crisis of older adult homelessness in the U.S. It is intended to serve as a starting point for conversations between systems - including homelessness response, health care, and aging - and to underscore the need for alignment across systems to address the unique needs of this population.