Ageing out of place: The impact of gender and location on older Victorians in homelessness: Pilot Study Summary

This pilot study, generously supported by a grant from the Mercy Foundation (NSW), aimed to provide insight into how gender and location affect the housing and homelessness pathways and experiences of people aged 55 years and over who have experienced homelessness or housing crisis in Victoria. It builds on our broader 2011 research project, Ageing in What Place, which investigated the growing number of older persons presenting at homelessness services. We interviewed 23 people aged 55 and over who had experienced homelessness or housing crisis and 23 service providers who worked with this group. In the 55 and over group there were 14 men and 9 women with 12 from metropolitan areas and 11 from regional areas. The service providers we interviewed were recruited from the 8 DHS regions and held a number of different types of roles.