Women聽who are 55聽and older are the fastest growing cohort of homeless people in the country, research by the shows.
The 2021 Census found that the number of women over 55 experiencing homelessness increased by 6.6%, since the previous Census. The total number of people experiencing homelessness grew by 5.2% to 122,494.
Risk factors such as soaring rents, domestic violence, ill health and loss of employment continue to force older women into homelessness.
The number of聽women between聽55鈥74 years聽old seeking support from homelessness services聽has聽increased by聽55%聽over聽the last decade.
罢丑别听聽said聽older women are often forced to endure domestic violence, or seek precarious shelter with friends and family, due to structural risk factors and gender norms such as lower salaries and savings聽compared to聽their male counterparts.
The cost-of-living crisis,聽driven by聽corporate profiteering and price gouging, is undoubtedly a major contributor.
The ABS definition of 鈥渉omelessness鈥 takes in a broader social context. It refers to those who聽聽to access alternative accommodation to their current living arrangement.
In other words,聽homeless people include those who live in an inadequate dwelling; who do not have secure聽tenure, or their initial tenure is short and not extendable; or are unable to control or聽access space for social relations.
Older single women are especially vulnerable.
础苍听聽in February聽estimated that women living alone are eight to nine times more likely to face homelessness. These shameful statistics reflect decades of policy failure.
The report,聽More Than Shelter: A study of the impact of safe, secure, and supported housing for older women,聽called on the NSW government to support a new specialist homelessness service for older people and for special legal protections for older renters, including a relocation allowance of $4000 for people over 55 who are evicted through no fault of their own.
It quoted from the聽2016 Census which showed the number of women aged over 55 years experiencing homelessness rose 31%聽compared to 2011.
The Australian Housing Urban Research Institute projected that 440,000 households aged over 55 will need affordable housing by 2031 鈥斅燼 78% rise in unmet demand since 2016.
The NSW Council of Social Services聽highlighted聽a particularly abhorrent consequence of inadequate housing. It聽estimated聽in 2021 that聽close to 5000聽women are being forced to stay in an unsafe and violent home,聽and that聽about half have to return to a violent partner due to a lack of affordable聽housing options. Another 2410聽became聽homeless because they could not find secure housing after leaving the violent聽home.
These statistics are sadly unsurprising聽when聽聽cannot find adequate housing.
Compounded with age discrimination and decreased social mobility, a general lack of聽housing聽availability means聽that聽older women have an especially hard time in finding secure聽housing.
The age for elderly priority housing聽in NSW聽is set at 80, excluding a large portion of the state鈥檚 elderly homeless population.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry in October of last year recommended lowering the age from 80 to 55. Other recommendations included a specialist homelessness service for older people in NSW, with OWN calling for a specific housing strategy for older women.
With older women becoming the 鈥渇ace鈥 of homelessness in Australia, it is clear that the system continues to fail the most vulnerable.
一品探花聽continues to campaign against policy-makers鈥 privatisation of public housing (which includes social housing 鈥 another form of privatisation). Public funds must go to public housing, and the especially vulnerable older cohort must be given priority. If you agree聽become a GL supporter聽for as little as $5 a month.