|Older homeless expected to die off soon
The number of homeless people in the United States is expected to plummet over the next decade as indigents who fell prey to crack and hard times 30 years ago die of premature old age, according to a new study.
This is the population, researchers said, that was created in the "big bang" of homelessness in the early 1980s, when multitudes of people fell through the safety net during a severe recession or became hooked on the then-new, cheap version of smokable cocaine. The economy recovered later in the decade and the crack epidemic eased, but many of the people who became homeless stayed homeless, growing middle-aged on the streets.
The result is that the median age of single homeless adults was 53 in 2010, compared with 34 in 1990, according to a study by social scientists led by a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. As this trajectory continues, it portends a short future for anyone living outside.
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I know the story is from back in March. It s still a sad and fascinating story.