Search the Library
Housing Crisis: Young People Pushing Older Women Into Homelessness
Older women are Australia's fastest growing group of homeless people and the lack of affordable housing is a major factor in the rapid increase.
The number of homeless women over 55 has increased by a whopping 31 percent since 2011. Other demographics of homeless people have increased by just 14 percent since then.
2019
Living on the Street: Only Option for Some of Cuba’s Elderly
The number of homeless people is growing in Havana, as well as in the rest of the country. This article looks at the reasons behind the increase in older people facing homelessness.
2019
Older women the new face of homelessness
Older women have emerged as one of the most vulnerable groups in relation to housing insecurity and homelessness in Australia in recent years. They are not a group that is historically associated with homelessness and indeed, many older women have never been homeless before.
2019
Themes:
House-sitting on the rise for older people in financial stress or on verge of homelessness
The article looks at house-sitting as an option for the housing crisis faced by an increasing number of older people in Australia.
2019
What Comes After #MyMum – Preventing Homelessness Amongst Australia's Older Women
Older women now represent the fastest growing cohort of Australia’s homeless. In the ACT between 2016-17, women accounted for more than half of the people accessing specialist homelessness and housing services. Compounding an already precarious situation, older women will often find themselves at the mercy of the private rental market.
2019
‘I really have thought this can’t go on’: loneliness looms for rising numbers of older private renters
Loneliness is increasingly recognised worldwide as a critical social issue and one of the major health hazards of our time. Our research shows older private renters are at high risk of loneliness and anxiety. This is a growing concern as more Australians are renting housing later in life.
2019
Themes:
Homelessness grows for older women aged 55+
The Women’s Electoral Lobby has called on Commonwealth and State governments to respond Australia’s homelessness crisis for women, who are often invisible and amongst the poorest and most vulnerable of those experiencing homelessness. Older women aged 55 and over are the fastest growing cohort of homeless people, with numbers increasing by 31% between 2011 and 2016.
2019
Themes:
Learning from past mistakes: lessons from the National Rental Affordability Scheme
All Australians are spending more of their incomes on housing than in the past, but low-income households are feeling the pinch most.
Many low-income renters are in poverty, and many more are suffering financial stress. Inequality is increasing because rising housing costs have disproportionately whittled away the income growth of poorer households.
2019
Elderly homeless in paradise, 52 per cent rise in older women accessing crisis services
The Gold Coast's St Vincent de Paul's Cornerstone Homelessness Prevention Service reported 27 per cent of referrals in June were people over 55, many were women over 60.
The service is in the process of finalising plans for six units of accommodation in Arundel which will be specifically for this growing age group.
2019
Improving the outcomes for older women at risk of homelessness
Older single women are the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness in Australia. Why is this?
2019
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."