Try to imagine this: You’ve worked your whole life, rarely had a holiday and maybe even managed to squirrel-away some superannuation. Then, suddenly as you approach the age you should be retiring from a life of work and raising children, you find yourself pushed into homelessness.
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It’s unimaginable, isn’t it?
Well, for many older women in Australia, this is increasingly becoming the reality - and it’s getting worse. The number of older people who are asking for help from specialist homelessness services has grown faster than any other age group since 2013-14. Around one in four older people who received support from specialist homelessness services in 2017-18 were experiencing domestic and family violence. We also know 61 percent of people who sought help from specialist homelessness services in 2017-18 were female.
Between 2011 and 2016, the number of people aged over 55 who were experiencing homelessness jumped by 28 percent. Mission Australia’s Ageing and Homelessness report previously highlighted that older women continue to be particularly vulnerable to later-in-life homelessness, due to factors including a lack of superannuation, financial dependence, housing affordability and domestic and family violence.
While men account for the largest number of older rough sleepers and those staying in boarding houses, we know that homeless women are often experiencing what we know as hidden homelessness. While some women may sleep rough in a shop front or on a park bench, the majority of women who are homeless take refuge out of sight from the public eye – perhaps in overcrowded dwellings or couch surfing.
Locally, there are some supports and crisis accommodation for single women as well as their children experiencing domestic and family violence who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. But we know more assistance is needed.
All levels of government need to act to provide the supports that will allow older people to age with dignity in safe and secure homes. For example, strategies should be put in place now to boost economic security for women to prevent heightened risks of homelessness in later life. We’d also like to see increased and flexible housing options for older people.
Everyone deserves a safe and secure home. Older members of our community, in particular, need stable accommodation where they can look after their mental and physical health and age with the respect they deserve.
