Priced Out and On the Road: Older Americans Embrace Van Life
Across the United States, soaring housing costs and static incomes are pushing some older Americans to seek alternative living arrangements, with van life emerging as a viable option for affordability and freedom. Two individuals in their 70s, Minivan Lee and Lindy Moore, shared their experiences with Business Insider, providing a window into the challenges and unexpected benefits of this nomadic lifestyle.
Minivan Lee: Affordable Nomadism
Minivan Lee, a 71-year-old resident of Arizona, has been living in her van for eight years. After raising her four children in Tucson for 45 years, the rising cost of living pushed her toward a mobile lifestyle. Lee, who asked BI to use her YouTube name, said she found herself unable to afford traditional housing. “There is no way right now that I would afford renting because, in the last four years, rents have gone sky high,” she explained.
Lee’s background includes experience in construction and architecture, along with degrees in psychology and sociology. Though she consistently earned slightly above minimum wage, the lack of significant savings made homeownership unattainable. This experience spurred her to embrace van life after her children were grown.
Lee’s van, equipped with a stove, refrigerator, and a makeshift bathroom, allows her to move freely and adjust to her surroundings. Her monthly expenses include approximately $110 for gas, $85 for a storage unit, $300-$400 for food, and $75 for car insurance. With Social Security and income from YouTube and her published books on van life, she manages to save a few hundred dollars per month.
“There is such freedom in that if I don’t like what I’m seeing around me, or if somebody’s smoking a cigarette and it’s coming in through my van, I can move,” Lee said.
Lee acknowledges the challenges of aging on the road, and hopes to eventually find a more permanent home.
Lindy Moore: Community and Resilience
Lindy Moore, 77, a military veteran, faced a challenging turn of events when she was scammed out of her savings. Already working as a programmer and accounting manager, she’d also started a vintage clothing and antiques business. After this financial blow she was forced to embrace van life after she could no longer afford her apartment. She has lived in a van for the past five years, finding community and support online and in her travels.
Moore’s experience includes a period where she lived in a KFC parking lot for two years. She later held a brief apartment, but rent hikes, compounded by health challenges including two cancer diagnoses, eventually forced her to move into her van full-time.
Moore finds her expenses are significantly lower compared to traditional housing. “As you get older, you’re just sitting there watching TV, your body has given out, and you can’t do a lot of physical things,” Moore said. “You’re just waiting to die. I wanted a last adventure and didn’t want to keep working all the time.”
Moore has found community among fellow van dwellers, realizing that others, too, have turned to vehicle living due to financial constraints. Her monthly expenses include under $1,000, and she is considering the transition to a tiny house at some point soon, as she had recently undergone heart surgery.
The Bigger Picture
The stories of Minivan Lee and Lindy Moore represent a growing demographic of older Americans adapting to economic pressures and finding new ways of life. Their experiences highlight the need for affordable housing solutions and the importance of community support in navigating financial hardship and embracing alternative lifestyles.
