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Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 6, 2024 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


FREE ASSISTED LIVING PLACEMENT SERVICE

 

 Discover the perfect assisted living community with 
Safe Path for Seniors. Our compassionate advisors 
specialize in assisting individuals with unique needs. 
Benefit from our extensive network and affordable 
options. Plus, we offer personalized tours to help you 
explore each community firsthand. Call (626) 999-
6913 or visit www.safepathforseniors.com for free 
assistance.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JULY Birthdays*

Nina Bartolai, Mary Lou Caldwell, Louise Neiby, Betty Hansen, Melinda 
Rogers , Christine Durfort, Shahrzad Azrani, Jeanne Borgedahl, Janet Cox, 
Dorothy Montgomery, Bess Pancoska, Janet Swanson, Barbara Watson, Pat 
Alcorn, Karma Bell, Alice Clark, and Betty Dos Remedios, Bonnie Diener

Jan Greteman, Linda Heller

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


From The Desk of Steve Sciurba, Safe Path For Senior


AFFORDABLE HOUSING: A CRUCIAL ISSUE FOR OLDER ADULTS

Low-income older adults are facing unprecedented housing costs. According to a recent report 
from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 65% of renters earning less than $30,000 
annually—many of whom rely on Social Security—spend over half their income on housing. This 
leaves a mere $310 monthly for essentials like food, transportation, and healthcare.

Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy at LeadingAge, emphasizes the importance of 
affordable housing. She asserts that addressing the nation's housing crisis, which includes rising 
homelessness, a weak housing safety net, and climate change threats, requires coordinated efforts 
from private sectors, nonprofits, and all levels of government. The report details the demographics 
of older adults, the availability of affordable housing, and the interconnectedness of housing, 
health, and community services.

Preservation vs. Expansion

Couch highlights the struggle of affordable senior housing providers to maintain and develop 
housing. She stresses the urgency of preserving existing units, as there are no programs to replace 
those that are lost. Despite the daunting challenge, she believes that with adequate support, more 
can be done. However, the current programs are insufficient to meet the growing demand. Couch 
critiques the federal housing safety net, describing it as a "system of scarcity and begging."

Rising Housing Costs

The report indicates a surge in home prices, with the median sales price now five times the median 
household income. Rents have also increased by 26% nationwide since early 2020. This has led to 
a rise in "cost-burdened" homeowners, with 19.7 million spending over 30% of their income on 
housing. Alarmingly, 27.4% of older adult homeowners are financially strained.

Older adults now represent a growing share of homeowners, with those aged 55 and older increasing 
from 44% to 54% in the last 15 years. Yet, many struggle to afford necessary home modifications 
for accessibility. Only 4% of homes offer such features, despite 22% of older adults needing them.

A Pressing Challenge

The shortage of affordable housing is a critical issue nationwide, affecting renters and homeowners 
alike. Solutions such as regulatory relief and technological innovation could help, but expanding 
the housing safety net is essential. The report underscores that ensuring safe, affordable, and stable 
housing for all is one of the nation's most pressing challenges, requiring a collective effort from all 
sectors and government levels.

As the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, 
Housing, and Urban Development prepares to vote on the fiscal year 
2025 spending bill, LeadingAge urges stakeholders to advocate for 
robust funding to increase affordable senior housing and service 
coordinators.

THEAGENCY

Redefining real estate

 

STEVEN GALINDO

Estates Agent | Senior Real Estate Specialist


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

HAVING A BRAIN CAN BE A PROBLEM


I have been showing people a picture of my brain for almost a month 
now. I’ve been having a lot of fun doing it and teasing people by saying, 
“I have proof that I have a brain.”

In the beginning, I just believed that having a brain would be a 
wonderful experience for me. Little did I know that having a brain can create certain 
problems—problems that my brain not only cannot help but has produced.

I don’t think a day has passed, but I have reminded The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage that I have a brain and proof of it. So far, she has gone along with me.

You would think a person with a brain would be able to solve every problem that 
comes his way. I was to learn that that was not necessarily true, and I have the scars 
to prove it.

It was Thursday morning, and I was looking for my Bible I used the night before at a 
prayer meeting. I looked everywhere, but couldn’t find it.

Finally, I asked The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, “Have you seen my Bible? I 
can’t seem to find it.”

Looking at me with one of “those looks of hers,” she said, “You have a brain, so you 
find it.”

I wasn’t expecting that and didn’t know where it came from. She just stared at me, so 
I turned around and went back into my office. Later that day, I found it in my truck.

Whether I left it there the night before or somebody in our residence put it there to 
trap me, I don’t know. I will keep a secret about which one I thought happened.

I returned to work, and it was a very good day.

I needed to go to Wal-Mart to pick something up. I looked around for my wallet, but 
I could not find it anywhere. I usually put it on the counter in the kitchen so I don’t 
lose it.

Looking at the counter, I couldn’t see it.

Just then, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage walked into the kitchen. I looked 
at her and said, “Have you seen my wallet? I thought I put it here on the counter, but 
I can’t find it.”

There was, again, that look of hers, and then she responded, “You have a brain, so why 
don’t you use it and find it?”

I was not sure how to respond, so I went on looking for my wallet, and I eventually 
found it. I was not sure if I had left it where I found it or if somebody put it there to 
try to trick me.

At this point, I started thinking about all the time I spent boasting and bragging 
about having a brain and evidence to show that I actually did have a brain. I must say 
I had a good time during that time. But now, it seems to have backfired on me.

I hate it when something backfires on me in a very negative fashion.

Going to my easy chair with a cup of coffee, I sat down and began looking at the 
picture of my brain. That was the evidence I needed to prove I actually did have a 
brain. As I looked at it for a few moments, I began to wonder, why is my brain not 
working right now?

As I looked at the picture, I thought maybe I had gone too far boasting about my 
brain. Maybe I should’ve let it go from the beginning. At the time I just thought I was 
having fun.

After finishing my coffee, I went into my office and began working on a project.

I needed to make copies of my project, but when I tried, the copy machine was not 
working. I looked at it for a little bit and didn’t quite know what to do. The only one 
who knows how to make this copy machine work is The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage.

What do I do now? I need to finish this project, and there is no way I can fix this and 
get it working.

My only solution was to ask my wife if she could fix the copy machine for me. I didn’t 
know how to ask her. I knew her attitude all day, and I’m unsure how I could turn it 
into a very positive position.

Just then, my wife came to my office door and said, “I have some papers I need to 
copy. Would you mind if I used the copy machine right now?”

My day could not get any better.

“Oh my dear, yes of course, come and use it as long as you want to. I need to go to the 
bathroom for a few moments, so take your time.”

I knew when I got back, the copy machine would be running.

Walking back into my office, my wife picked up the papers she had copied and was 
leaving.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Oh yes,” she said, “no problems whatsoever.”

I like it when a day ends on the positive.

In my reflection, a verse from the Bible came to mind. “Therefore all things whatsoever 
ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the 
prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

I need to treat others as I would want to be treated


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com