Reports
At Risk: 405,000 older women risk homelessness without urgent policy reform
405,000 women aged 45 years and over are estimated as being at risk of homelessness. Policy snapshot and Key Findings Final Report: Understanding the population size and demographics of older women at risk of homelessness in Australia …Posted in: Campaigns
No Place to Call Home: Older People at Risk of Homelessness in Victoria
Homelessness is a rapidly growing problem in Victoria. Between the 2006 and 2016 Census the number of people experiencing homelessness in Victoria increased from a rate of 35.3 per 10,000 population to 41.9 per 10,000 population. A desperate shortage of affordable housing and skyrocketing rents are driving more and more people, from diverse backgrounds, out of their homes and into homelessness.
Belying the old stereotypes of homeless people being “rough sleepers: with complex needs, the fastest growing cohorts of people becoming homeless are women and older people. For many homeless means couch sur ng, living in severe overcrowding,
and …Posted in: Campaigns
“The older I get the scarier it becomes”: Report on Older people at risk of homelessness in New South Wales
“The older I get the scarier it becomes report shows that there has been a 50% increase in the number of older people at risk of homelessness in NSW in the last five years. An insecure and unaffordable private rental market, a lengthy social housing waiting list, a homelessness service system that is not resourced to respond to older people, and poor linkages between the housing and aged care sectors, mean that the odds are stacked against older people. Unless urgent action is taken now, the problem will only get bigger. Read the summary report …Posted in: Campaigns, New South Wales
“One Rent Increase from Disaster” – Older renters living on the edge in Western Australia
The Ageing on the Edge Project reports on the situation facing older renters in Western Australia, and what can be done about it. Read the Summary Report Read the Full Report Download the infographic Photos from the launch Read Liz Lennons speech from the launch …Posted in: Campaigns, Western Australia
The Seniors Housing Gateway – A safety net for older people at risk of homelessness
Australia needs to urgently address the rapidly increasing problem facing large numbers of older people, the majority women, at risk of homelessness. As a ‘new’ cohort with many specific factors such as age, gender, first time homelessness and economic disadvantage as the cause, there is a need for uniquely tailored early intervention strategies to prevent homelessness for this group to avoid later life complexities at great cost.
This proposal recommends the introduction of a national Seniors Housing Gateway (SHG) Program at a cost of $9.6 million to urgently respond to the rapid increase of vulnerable older people at risk …Posted in: Campaigns
COTA National Survey Gives Poor Report Card for Wellbeing of Older Renters
A Federation of state COTAs has produced a report called State of the (Older) Nation Report. COTA, with Newgate Research, conducted a nationally-representative online survey lasting 25 minutes on average, completed by 2,562 Australians aged 50 and over, with quotas set for state and territory, metropolitan and regional areas, gender and age. The report is a summary of the information gathered. There seems to be a significant poverty gap – with people renting and experiencing financial hardship doing poorly on a range of indicators. The whole report is available at the link below, but HAAG has created a summary of …Posted in: News Updates, Campaigns, Federal Campaigns
Out of the frying pan into the fire: The experiences of Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG) clients referred to Independent Living Units (ILU) and general retirement information.
While there has been research into the experience of people living in ILUs (HAAG, 2016), there is limited knowledge of the experience of people attempting to gain access to them. It may be inferred however that access is problematic; waitlists are generally years in length, there area large numbers of low-income pensioners in the private rental market, and there are low numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) aged living in them (HAAG, 2016). Obtaining up to date and transparent information about ILUs and other retirement villages is also challenging. This report looks at whether HAAG clients who are given information …Posted in: Retirement Housing Advice Service
Is the Victorian Housing Register providing transparency in the process for community housing offers that its introduction intended?
The purpose of this report is to ascertain whether or not the VHR is working as it intended in regards to the process of receiving community housing offers in the case of HAAG’s cohort of older people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. HAAG’s housing workers house approximately 7 people per month in social housing – an umbrella term to mean public housing which is owned by government, and community housing which is owned or managed by not for profit community housing providers. Our workers mainly utilise the VHR and use our contacts and networks within community housing …
Retiring into Poverty- A National Plan for Change Report
Older single women are the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness and most of them have never been homeless before. This paper identifies the underlying systemic and compounding causes of older women’s homelessness, examines the devastating impact of gendered economic inequality and the key policy areas that require attention. …Posted in: Campaigns
HAAG State Election Strategy 2018
In November 2018, Victorians go to the polls. An election provides the opportunity to show leadership about the issues that matter.We know that housing for older people has become a significant problem that needs to be addressed urgently by the Victorian State Government. …Posted in: Fact Sheets
‘A Home for Diversity’ Project Report
A Home for diversity is a 6 month project that aimed to increase the capacity of homelessness services to work with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The project provided training to housing workers, particularly those who work with older people. This training was provided by the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health, in collaboration with Housing for the Aged Action Group. Download …Posted in: Multicultural & Multifaith Communities
Agenda for Ageing in Victoria
Our organisation supports an Agenda for Ageing in Victoria that will guide practical and timely action to improve the quality of life for all Victorians as we age. Read the Agenda …