Melinda* is 57 and lives with chronic health issues. She moved into shared housing when her marriage ended but was evicted having been wrongly accused of theft. With no family support, she was forced to live in a motel and was on the verge on homelessness.
Women like Melinda are at the forefront of the nation’s housing crisis, with women over the age of 50 making up one of the fastest-growing groups of people experiencing homelessness in Australia. This Homelessness Week (4-10 August) we shine a light on the changing face of this significant national problem.
Centacare Regional Operations Manager for Aged Care & Housing Chris Hardy manages the organisation’s Homeless Accommodation and Housing Support services. His teams walk alongside people who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness to identify immediate supports and pathways to safe and long-term accommodation.
“We’re seeing more and more women over 50 in crisis,” said Mr Hardy. “These women aren’t rough sleepers – not at first. They might be staying with family, house-sitting or sleeping in their car. Many of them don’t even realise they’re experiencing homelessness.”
In August last year Centacare opened a supportive residence for a small number of women over 50 who are at risk of homelessness in Beaudesert. Centacare Mercy House welcomes women for stays from three days to three months. They are supported and empowered to find and sustain affordable, safe and permanent housing. This could include support to build rental history, find part-time employment or establish financial independence.
Like Melinda, 63-year-old Nicole* also found herself in a situation where she had nowhere to go, and no family to lean on for support. Living in a remote area of Queensland, she had survived years of domestic violence before fleeing to Brisbane, where she took refuge at a women’s shelter. She arrived with very little – no home, no job, no digital skills – just a strong desire to move forward.
For women like Melinda and Nicole, Centacare Mercy House will provide more than just shelter.
“Our teams can provide assistance with paperwork and arrange legal advice, financial counselling and support,” said Mr Hardy. “Once suitable accommodation has been found, we can help with relocation, connecting women with service providers to make their transition between homes as easy as possible.”
Socio-economic status and gender norms mean that older women often have lower salaries, savings, and superannuation than men. They also carry the weight of caring responsibilities and are more likely to experience violence.
“Women often come to us with nothing more than a small suitcase,” said Mr Hardy. “We rely on donations to provide food, toiletries and essentials for women who arrive in crisis. They might need a business suit to attend a job interview or a mobile phone.
“We can provide support and advocacy with government agencies to secure a bond loan, rental grant, rental security subsidy and tenancy assistance to help pay for bond cleans, yard maintenance, even a removalist truck.
“Once someone is settled in their new rental, we can commence conversations with My Aged Care around the implementation of in-home supports and with local community organisations to connect people with financial counselling and family wellbeing supports.”
*The names in this article have been changed.
Are you experiencing challenges with your current tenancy or living arrangements?
Our Housing Support service will work with you to try resolve the issues and sustain your tenancy.
If you’d like to support people at risk of homelessness, Centacare accepts donations to support people with crisis accommodation, counselling, food and essential items.