HIDDEN HOMELESSNESS
The image of homelessness in Australia often focuses on men sleeping rough, but new research has revealed it’s a growing issue for women aged 45 and over.
“405,000 WOMEN IN THE 45+ AGE GROUP ARE AT RISK.”
Arecent study out of Australia has brought to light a startling statistic about the hidden faces of homelessness. Women aged 45 and over are now considered the fastest-growing cohort at risk of becoming homeless. The report, released in August 2020 by the Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG), found that 405,000 women in the 45+ age group are at risk of homelessness.
It’s a problem that up until this point has largely remained hidden, says age discrimination commissioner Dr Kay Patterson at HAAG’s national forum. “The image of homelessness in Australia often focuses on men who are rough sleepers. However, there is a hidden cohort of women who have led what we would call conventional lives, yet find themselves at risk of homelessness.” These women often do not identify as being homeless, or know where to turn to for help. Because of this, they fall through the gaps and remain ‘invisible’.
While we might automatically picture people sleeping on the streets when we think of homelessness, the definition is much broader. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) states that homelessness is not simply ‘roof’-lessness. Rather, it means lacking in the essential elements that make up a home; a sense of security, stability, privacy, safety and the ability to control living space.
Researcher Dr Emma Power, who worked on the HAAG report, says there are several gendered risks attributed to the stark statistic. Many women report having taken time out of the workforce to care for children, or having taken on lower-paying professions throughout their careers.
“They retire having limited assets, including superannuation,” says Dr Power. These risks are then compounded by unaffordable housing and an insecure private rental system – many women report fearing eviction, poor-quality housing and rent increases.
The HAAG report identified nine factors that increased the probability of older women being at risk of homelessness, including not being employed full time, being immigrants from a non-English speaking country, identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and living in a lone-person household.
The circumstances that lead to homelessness are complex, says HAAG deputy chair Mary-Ann Wright, who has experienced it first-hand. Despite having a bachelor’s degree and career experience, an unfortunate string of expensive health issues, low-paying jobs and redundancies left her struggling to meet rent. “The situation I found myself in crept up on me,” she explains. “I had started dipping into my savings and was otherwise living pay cheque to pay cheque. I moved houses five times. Then I was made redundant. My payout wasn’t enough to cover my expenses for long and I soon found myself in rent arrears and ultimately unable to pay rent. It was only then I realised I needed help. Prior to that point I had always thought I would figure something out.”
Based on ABS projections, female loneperson households will increase between 27 per cent and 58 per cent by 2041. We are at a “critical juncture” for housing and homelessness policy, says HAAG, and a preventative approach is needed before it meets a crisis point.