Meet 2 older Americans who turned to living in their vehicles in their retirement amid a housing affordability crisis

• Older Americans priced out of their homes sometimes turn to van life for affordability and freedom.
• High housing costs and fixed incomes have driven some older Americans to live in their vehicles.
• 2 Americans in their 70s explained why they adopted van life.

More and more older Americans are getting priced out of their homes — and some are turning to their vehicles as their new abodes.

Two older Americans in their 70s who live in their vehicles told Business Insider that even though they love the nomadic lifestyle, they couldn't make ends meet if they rented more traditional homes. Both said van life has allowed them to save more and work toward a more stable future.

Both said they adopted van life primarily because of the difficulties of facing an expensive housing market on a fixed income. They added that they enjoyed the freedom and adventure, wanting a change of pace from their day-to-day lives.

Are you an American experiencing housing instability or risk losing your home? Are you an older American with an uncommon housing situation? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

Both older Americans told BI why they took up van life, how they make it work, and what they've noticed about older Americans in their community.

Minivan Lee couldn't afford rent but loves the lifestyle

Minivan Lee, who asked BI to use her YouTube name, lives in her van in Arizona. Lee, 71, has been a nomad for eight years after living in Tucson for 45 years, where she raised four children. She became a single mother after her husband was killed by a drunken driver.

Lee worked in construction and for an architect before returning to school to earn her psychology and sociology degrees. She always made slightly above minimum wage but never earned enough to save much. She never owned a home and lived in various apartments, but she said she raised her children well with what she had.

"There was no career — it was just working," Lee said. "There was never a middle class for me. It was always lower class."

After researching van life, Lee bought a minivan once her children were grown. Lee said she found people across the socioeconomic spectrum, including some millionaires, adopting the lifestyle.

While she loved the lifestyle and freedom of living in her van, she said it was somewhat of a necessity. She estimates she would barely have any savings left over if she rented.

"Even though I did want to do this, there is no way right now that I would afford renting because, in the last four years, rents have gone sky high," Lee said.

Lee said most older Americans who she interacts with and who live on the road rely on Social Security or a small pension. She said she sees many women living in their vans and cars in Flagstaff, many of whom said they couldn't afford housing or were evicted. She's received dozens of comments on her videos from people writing they can't afford housing or food anymore and are buying vans as a last resort.

Lee said she is the "perfect candidate for small spaces." She has a stove, a small refrigerator, a makeshift bathroom, lighting, and many other necessities. She learned to do some maintenance work herself, from checking fluids to changing air filters.

"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. "If you're in a home, you can't."

She uses her phone as a hot spot, and she has a $10 monthly gym membership that doubles as her shower. Given that she only goes to a few places daily, she suspects she spends less on gas — she estimates about $110 monthly — than if she drove while living in a house. She pays $85 monthly for a storage unit, between $300 and $400 monthly for food, and $75 for car insurance.

Lee receives slightly over $1,000 monthly in Social Security, and with her earnings from YouTube and sales of her books on van life, she saves a few hundred a month. She said she has decent savings but added, "It's nothing like what it should be for my age."

Lee said she hopes to have her own permanent place one day, given she's unsure she can live comfortably in her van as she ages.

"It's certainly not going to carry me into my 90s," Lee said.

Lindy Moore was scammed and moved into her van but values her community

Lindy Moore, 77, a military veteran, worked as a programmer and accounting manager for over a decade. She also started a vintage clothing and antiques business. However, she couldn't afford her apartment after losing much of her savings in a housing scam nearly a decade ago, so she switched to living in her van for the last few years.

Moore, who lives in the Sacramento area, was close to paying off the mobile home, only to find out from the state that the park never had the rights to sell the homes. The park was shut down, and she didn't get any of her money back. She had no savings and nowhere to live except in her small minivan.

Moore lived for two years in the parking lot of a KFC where she worked. Then, she briefly lived in an apartment, but when her rent increased, she couldn't afford it with her income from Social Security, KFC, and Uber driving. Around the same time, she navigated two cancer diagnoses, and work became cumbersome.

She moved into her van full-time about five years ago and focused more on scaling her YouTube channel, where she covers life on the road. She also switched to working at Walmart.

"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 said while some of her friends in vans have a house, many only have a vehicle. Some are in their 80s or 90s and have few other living options, she said.

"They just can't afford their rent, and their bodies aren't going to allow them to keep working," Moore said.

Still, she said the van life community has helped her stay confident and locate resources to live more comfortably, even though her YouTube channel doesn't bring in much money.

She said adjusting to living in her van came with mental challenges, such as receiving shaming comments from people. Another hurdle included learning to safely care for her belongings and protect her privacy. It took time to learn how to cook on a one-burner stove, stay warm or cool, and where to regularly access water.

Her expenses are way down compared to living in an apartment. Her rent was previously about $1,200 monthly. Now, her van is paid off, and her butane for her stove is about $120. She pays between $200 and $300 monthly for gas, below $10 monthly for water, and a few hundred dollars monthly in food since she said she stocks food in case of an emergency. She estimates that her total monthly spending stays below $1,000, including vehicle maintenance, and she doesn't travel.

Moore said this might be her last full year of van life, and after a recent heart surgery, she said she wants the stability of a tiny house.