UnitingSA on Housing Security taskforce

It’s a sobering fact. In just one decade, the number of older women experiencing homelessness has jumped a massive 44 per cent.

Experts say 240,000 women aged 55 or older are now at risk of homelessness, with the figures likely to worsen as Australia’s ageing population doubles in the next 30 years.

Recently, UnitingSA CEO Jenny Hall was invited to join South Australia’s first Housing Security for Older Women Taskforce.

Established by Human Services Minister Nat Cook and made up of 16 South Australians representing government, not-for-profit organisations and universities, the Taskforce is now working together to find ways to improve housing security for women, primarily aged 55 and over.

“Lower lifetime incomes due to the gender pay gap, less access to superannuation, relationship breakdown, and a lack of financial assets due to informal child care responsibilities have left women in this age group particularly vulnerable,” Jenny says.

“Single women are even more vulnerable, with less financial protection than those who may be sharing housing and living expenses with a partner.

“Women living with a disability, Aboriginal women and women from diverse cultures face even more barriers.

“The establishment of this Taskforce is an important step toward defining the causes of housing insecurity and finding real and impactful solutions.”

Susan, a former UnitingSA Housing tenant, has been appointed to the Taskforce to provide a lived experience perspective to ensure the taskforce looks at the real life challenges older women are facing.

Susan escaped years of domestic violence in her Riverland home at the hands of her now ex-husband. When she moved to Adelaide, she had no rental history, no superannuation and had lost her family and the work and income she had previously had in their family-owned business.

She spent many months in Catherine House who helped her through the early days of separation and some hard times, eventually finding her way to an affordable home provided by UnitingSA Housing. Over the following years she studied, retraining in disability support, and she now works in the support sector.

The housing security provided by UnitingSA enabled her to concentrate on her study, regaining her confidence and rebuilding her life.

Susan was eventually able to build her own home, and was then able to leave the UnitingSA unit so someone else could get this life-changing support.

Susan says she is honoured to be able to be a voice for older women on the Taskforce.

“Providing a voice for lived experience advocates on the Taskforce is important because women like me, who have been in that situation, know the barriers, the things that work and what is needed in future to help battle these challenges,” Susan says.