Publications

Data shows that over the last ten years, housing circumstances for older people in Victoria have gotten worse. We need these measures to prevent more older people from experiencing homelessness.

Read our recommendations

Improving housing options and preventing homelessness for a growing number of older people at risk of or experiencing homelessness as they age will be discussed today when Ministers, housing experts and people with lived experience of the housing crisis come together at Victorian parliament.

HAAG welcomes the opportunity to provide input into National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024. We appreciate Senator David Pocock, Kylea Tink MP and other members for their efforts bring this Bill forward and echo the support from the community sector organisations. Among other things, the submission below outlines the housing and homelessness related challenges of older people and the need to specifically recognise their needs.

Read the submission here

East Gippsland Social and Affordable housing submission 

HAAG’s recent research has found that over the last ten years, the housing circumstances for older Queenslanders is getting worse. Read our policy recommendations and download our guide to meeting with your candidates and MP's

Public housing is an appropriate housing option for older people, as rents are capped at 25% of income, and it provides security of tenure. In September 2023, the Victorian Government announced plans to “retire and redevelop” the public housing towers over the coming decades.

Our winter edition of Older Tenant's Voice 

Read the newsletter here

It's extrememly hard for older people on low incomes to find affordable rentals. Its even harder for LGBTIQA+ older people. 

Read the article from Parity here

Housing for the Aged Action Group's Home at Last service is the first point of call of many older women living in Victoria who find themselves on the brink of, or experiencing, homelessness. 

The power imbalance between tenant and landlord in Australia in 2024 is well known. But for people living in retirement housing there is often an even greater power imbalance between them and their housing provider. 

Read the article from Parity here

Marie Sillars and Wendy Morris from the National Alliance of Seniors for Housing, and Susan Hawkeswood from the Ageing on the Edge NSW Lived Experience Group.

As Australia's housing crisis has worsened, a diverse group of older people from across the nation has come together with a common goal. By speaking about their own experiences of this crisis they hope to build an awareness of how it impacts people as they grow older, and to add their voices to those calling for a fairer housing system, one which ensures everyone living in Australia has access to a safe, stable, accessible and affordable home. 

Read the article from Parity here

Currently, the private rental sector does not provide security of tenure, affordability or accessibility for older low-income households. For renting in retirement to be as secure as home ownership, it requires proper regulation and legislative reform to enable older people to age in place, in the communities that they are familiar with and close to their social networks.

Read our submission here

We are calling on the Federal Government to fix older people's housing

Read our policy asks here

We hear from members of our LGBTIQA+ community reference group about their perspectives on the housing crisis

This report presents the results of our survey and work with the LGBTQIA+ community from 2019 - 2024.

Read the report

Housing for the Aged Action Group will be able to support more older people struggling with high rents thanks to a new $7.8 million funding initiative included in the latest Victorian Budget!
 

Housing and care are inextricably intertwined and should be seen as two parts of a holistic framework that needs to be put in place to support our elders to age in place and prevent premature admission into a residential facility. Therefore, Federal Government should fund additional, tailored specialist housing support services for older people by increasing funding and geographical availability of services such as Care finder. It is also critical to ensure that the focus of Care finder service remains on assisting people at risk of homelessness with care and housing.

Read the submission

Our first edition for 2024 is packed with news and photos from all of HAAG's activities, member news, and a new book review column.

Read the newsletter here

HAAG supports the intention of the ACT Property Developers Bill, the consultative approach so far, and endorses the submission from CFMEU to this inquiry. As an organisation representing older people, including older renters, older people in retirement villages, residential parks and experiencing other housing challenges, we support measures to ensure older people’s rights are protected and they are empowered to exercise those rights. This Bill provides a vital opportunity to strengthen the protections for owner-occupiers as well as tenants. These protections should also be applicable universally to all types of property developments.

Read our short submission

HAAG welcomes the provision in the Aged Care Bill Exposure Draft that the aged care system offers accessible, culturally appropriate, trauma-aware and healing-informed funded services.

We recommend that protections for diverse population be strengthened, that housing be recognised as a human right, and to fund specialist housing support services through the Care Finder program.

Read the submission here

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