Lillian Williams is careful to bring her cordless phone with her when she goes into the garage to do laundry in case she gets stuck or falls over.
The 75-year-old retired educator gets around her gray-brick home in the Bordeaux area of north Nashville in a wheelchair because of damaged knees. She carefully navigates a steep, short ramp from her kitchen to the washer and drier.
“I go down that ramp saying: ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus help me! I don’t want to fall,’” Williams said. “I’ve been stuck down there and couldn’t get back up.”
In the kitchen, she uses a walker to prepare food and has to contend with a torn-up linoleum floor kept in place with duct tape. She can't afford the improvements needed to keep her home safe.
Seniors and disabled people living on fixed incomes, like Williams, are among the most vulnerable in the region’s affordable-housing crisis. Their collective need for housing assistance is growing as their population surges.
The number of adults ages 65 and older in Davidson County grew 26 percent from 2010 to 2017. In comparison, the total population increased 10 percent during that time, according to U.S. Census data.
Comments
Post a Comment