BELLEVUE, Neb, (KMTV) – Janette Burke-Ophiem is packing up her home after her senior living facility raised her monthly fees $200. Now, with weeks left to move out, she's scrambling to find a place she can afford.
- Janette Burke-Ophiem is forced to leave her home after rent was raised
- Now, she's scrambling trying to find a place she can afford
- United Way for the Midlands say the number of seniors facing homelessness is rising
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Janette Burke-Ophiem didn't think she would have to move again.
“I thought I was going to stay here, carry me out with the box,” Burke-Ophiem said.
But after senior living apartment raised her fees by $200, she knew she couldn't afford to live in her home anymore.
“It was a little bit of a shock, so I gave notice and now I’m scrambling to find a place,” she said.
Many of the senior living places Burke-Ophiem can afford have wait lists. They range anywhere from a few months, to over a year. But with only weeks left to move out of her current place, she's unsure if she will have a place to sleep.
And she's not the only one. Seniors facing homelessness is a growing concern in our communities, according to United Way of the Midlands.
“We have definitely seen a rise in seniors calling for housing, sometimes they are sleeping in their car,” Myria Ming, director of the 211 call center said.
Housing assistance is at the top of the list when it comes to seniors needing help, accounting for 30% of the calls. A number that has grown in the past year according to Ming.
"When the housing prices increase they don't have the income to match that so they either have to make a decision between paying their rent or paying for medication and medical bills,” Ming said.
But this isn't happening just here in the Omaha metro. According to Housing and Urban Development, homelessness in people ages 55 or above has increased about 6% from 2023 and this number is predicted to triple by 2030.
The community needs to start working together to find solutions and resources to stop this growing problem, Ming said.
And Burke-Ophiem is still looking for a solution.
"it's rough, its rough, you don't know what to do or who to turn to,” she said
She's packing up all her belongings, not sure what's next.
