At the age of 63, grandmother Karren couldn't believe she faced the prospect of being homeless. / (min cost $ 0 ) or signup to continue reading How, after 46 years of living in the Blue Mountains and raising three children, had it come to this? Karren's story is a common one. A series of life events resulted in her joining the ranks of the fastest growing group to experience homelessness in Australia - older women.
Karren [surname withheld] worked casually while being a proud "stay-at-home Mum". When her marriage ended after 25 years, she launched a domestic cleaning business which thrived for 10 years. Her painful osteoarthritis cut the venture short.
With barely any superannuation and savings, she didn't have the a house or rent on her own and had to move into share accommodation. "It was extremely difficult to find accommodation at a reasonable price," said Karren, who couldn't live with her children and their families out of the Mountains long term due to insufficient space. "My future was looking very bleak and horrifying.
" The Homes for Older Women (HOW) program stepped in - a not-for-profit connection service that links older Blue Mountains women with homeowners willing to rent out vacant granny flats, studios, homes and spare bedrooms at an affordable price. Members of the Older Women's Network Blue Mountains, appalled by the rental crisis, in May, 2024 to help their peers overcome housing insecurity and homelessness. They have secured homes for 13 women over 55.
Many recipients were moved out of unstable and precarious living conditions - cars, hotels and couch surfing. "I'm so excited the program found me somewhere to live, otherwise I could have been living in my car," Karren says. "They helped me find safe and secure accommodation in a beautiful little cottage.
I was overwhelmed with happiness and appreciation for [program manager] Julie [Nance] and her team of volunteers [and] I am so grateful to Jan, my new landlord." She first heard about the program in According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 66 per cent of homeless people in the Mountains in 2021-22 were women - higher than the national figure. While HOW is proving successful, the small team of mostly volunteers is struggling to keep up.
There are 40 older women on the books needing accommodation, with more than half difficult to house because they have a dog. They received funding from the Mercy Foundation for Ms Nance's part-time role for a year. She runs the initiative and oversees volunteers.
HOW is relying on selling sausage sandwiches outside Bunnings to supplement $1,000 government grants and in-kind support. When homeowner Jan heard about HOW, she cast her mind back to when she was at risk of homelessness herself as a teenager. "A thoughtful older woman helped me out and I feel I'm honouring her kindness to me," said Jan [surname withheld].
"There is so much injustice today. If I can help just one person by offering space I don't use, I'm happy to do it." The program offers a bespoke, individualised approach to housing, to save the disappointment of missing out.
Ms Nance said it was alarming to hear stories from older women facing homelessness after a lifetime of working, rearing children and contributing to society. "We're getting women in their 70s calling in tears after receiving 90-day, no-fault eviction notices," she said. "They have nowhere to move to.
Some have lived in their rentals, and built up community connections, over 15 years." OWN and HOW Blue Mountains Chair Bronwen Johnston said the program's success was fuelled by homeowner generosity. "It is heartwarming knowing that women who had not been able to secure suitable accommodation in the commercial real estate market, are able to find safe shelter in our community," she said.
Go to www.how.ownnsw.
org.au; email [email protected].
au Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our .
Advertisement.
