HOMELESSNESS

The latest census data revealed a 31 per cent increase in the number of older women experiencing homelessness. MiNDFOOD looks into the disturbing reasons behind this trend.

Data shows increasing numbers of older women are experiencing homelessness. We look into the reasons behind this trend.

Alice Claire* had a tiny window of opportunity. Moving quickly, she grabbed a couple of blankets and toys – then, with her heart hammering, she strapped her pre-schoolers into their car seats, and fled the family home.

The abuse had been going on for a decade. But while she was desperate to get away, Alice had been trapped both financially and emotionally. Her violent partner had worn down her self-esteem and cut her off from friends and family.

Behind the wheel of her car, Alice took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She had managed to walk out, but she had nowhere to go.

Alice’s situation is all too common. A recent report, published by Mission Australia, found that domestic and family violence is one of the main reasons women and children become homeless in Australia. The report also stated that more than 121,000 people experiencing domestic violence sought help from homelessness services in 2017-18, and more than three out of four people seeking homelessness services due to domestic and family violence-related issues were female.

“While we know that domestic and family violence can affect anyone, overwhelmingly the statistics and what we see every day through our work

show that women are far more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner than men,” says James Toomey, Mission Australia’s CEO. “Women and children are at the greatest risk of homelessness as a result of domestic and family violence.”

THE STARK REALITY

Alice was lucky – after reporting to homelessness services, she was able to receive help. But before she was offered a place in a secure women’s shelter, Alice and her children spent a terrifying night sleeping in the car.

“It’s a night I will never forget,” Alice says. “The children were cold and kept asking me when we could go home. I tried to make it seem like a fun adventure, but of course I was scared. I spent the whole night expecting [her ex-husband] to turn up.”

Australian census data shows that the number of homeless people jumped by more than 14,000 in the five years to 2016 (a rise of 14 per cent). Among this increase, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) also noted a 31 per cent increase in the number of older women experiencing homelessness.

Additionally, the statistics lifted the lid on a common misconception – homelessness doesn’t always mean living on the streets. Only seven per cent of the homeless population are sleeping rough – the rest, the hidden homeless, are sleeping on couches, in cars, and packed into overcrowded temporary accommodation.

Kylie Travers, 35, has also experienced homelessness first-hand. In 2009, Kylie, along with her two young daughters, fled their family home when the domestic violence she had endured for years began to escalate.

With nowhere else to go, Kylie turned to a friend who had space in her four-car garage. “One section had been converted to a small room, so we slept in there. I had a double bed, a cot, a small desk … and kept my clothes in a plastic tub,” she recalls. Kylie and her daughters, aged two and 10 months at the time, had access to the bathroom and kitchen in the main house. At the time, she didn’t see herself as homeless.

“I’d always viewed homelessness as people living on the streets. Because I had somewhere to go each night, with a roof and a bed, I didn’t know we were homeless,” she says.

The link between domestic violence and the rise in the number of women experiencing homelessness has disturbed many charities. “There are so many women in this horrific situation,” says Rochelle Courtenay, founder of women’s charity Share the Dignity.

Courtenay notes that women and girls of all ages can be impacted. “There are so many homeless girls and young women that we talk to – and many of them start with a story of family violence or sexual abuse,” she says.

Courtenay gives an example. “Rachel and her sister Violet were 16 and 15 when they fled their home. Their mother had re-partnered and was living in [a situation of domestic violence]. It wasn’t safe for the girls, so they chose to couch surf and sleep in cars,” she says.

Positive outcomes in these circumstances are rare. “[Girls in these situations] often end up drug addicted, in bad relationships, and are in and out of correctional services all their lives,” says Courtenay. “It becomes a desperate cycle that is impossible to break.”

OLDER WOMEN AT RISK

The statistics also point to another sad trend. The fastest growing group of homeless people are older single women. According to a report from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the number of older homeless women in Australia increased by over 30 per cent between 2011 and 2016, to nearly 7,000 across the nation.

In the report, age discrimination commissioner Dr Kay Patterson notes that the issue is likely to get worse. “We have an ageing population, a high cost of housing, and a significant gap in wealth accumulation between men and women across their lifetimes.”

One of the variables that make older women particularly vulnerable to homelessness is going into retirement without assets or superannuation. It is an issue that worries Women in Super CEO Sandra Buckley. “Women retire with 47 per cent less superannuation than men,” she says. “There are many complex reasons why this discrepancy arises, but in a nutshell, women … bear the brunt of caring responsibilities. In doing so, they sacrifice valuable time that would otherwise be spent in the paid economy, earning an income and therefore super.”

Buckley adds that the ‘gender super gap’ isn’t the result of a single life event – but rather the different way women engage in the workforce compared with men. “The best retirement outcome is achieved by someone who is high income earning, has an unbroken work pattern, and works for 40-plus years,” Buckley says. “This is not how women engage with the paid workforce, as they balance unpaid work with paid work over many years. This is not likely to change any time soon.”

To address this issue, Women in Super have started the ‘Make Super Fair’ campaign, to inspire change to make the system more equitable.

Of course, superannuation is just one piece of the puzzle. For Mission Australia’s James Toomey, another vital step is to tackle the issue of genderbased violence. “As a society, we need to be doing more to reinforce gender equality and normalise respectful relationships, to reduce instances of domestic and family violence,” he says.

“Women are far more exposed to violent acts and rape when they’re homeless.”

“Too many people will continue to be pushed into homelessness because their home is no longer a safe place to live.”

Crucially, we also need more housing. “There’s very little hope of addressing homelessness if there aren’t enough … affordable homes for individuals and families to build a settled life in when escaping domestic and family violence,” says Toomey.

While crisis and transitional housing is a vital part of the housing equation, it’s affordable housing that will make the difference long-term.

In 2017 the NSW Government announced plans for 1,200 new social and affordable houses – as part of an affordable housing fund. It’s hoped that the model will be emulated by other state governments.

But with the number of people facing homelessness growing every year, experts say much more needs to be done. “The government needs a plan – a real strategic action plan to address homelessness in Australia, and especially for the highest growth of homelessness [women over the age of 45],” says Courtenay.

“Australia needs to learn from other countries and work together to find solutions for women experiencing homelessness,” she adds.

Along with traditional social housing, Courtenay would like to see an “adopt a granny” scheme put in place. “There are so many singleparent families with a spare room. Why can’t we try to match them up with an older woman – someone to help share the load of chores and rent?” she asks.

Homelessness is a dire situation, but there are some gender specific issues that make the situation even more difficult for women. The most obvious issue is period poverty. It was this issue that Courtenay focused on when she started Share the Dignity.

“For most women, getting your period is a slight inconvenience,” she says. “For homeless women, it’s a major problem. There’s no shower, no laundry and no money for sanitary items. They make pads from socks and old towels – it’s unhygienic.”

She also notes that it’s difficult for women to ask for help. “Periods are the last thing that anyone wants to ask for help with. There’s no dignity in it.”

Share the Dignity has addressed this by installing 100 free sanitary vending machines in homeless hubs, shelters and poverty-stricken schools around Australia.

AN EXTRA CHALLENGE

Of course, periods are not the only issue that homeless women face. They are also much more vulnerable than homeless men. “Safety is a big problem,” says Courtenay. “Women are far more exposed to violent acts and rape when they’re homeless, which is terrifying.”

Courtenay adds that some women go to extreme lengths to try to protect themselves. “One woman I met told me that she sleeps in the green garbage bin [outside a shopping centre]. She knew that it only ever had cardboard in it and when it got emptied.”

These days Alice and her children have a roof over their heads. But while Alice has moved on, she will always be grateful to the women’s shelter that gave her a safe place to stay while she rebuilt her life. “I’ll never forget the relief I felt when I got that call [to offer her the place]. They gave me clothes and toiletries, and toys for the children,” says Alice. “Most of all, they gave us safety.”