I never thought that in a prosperous country like Australia, I would be writing about the fact that the rate of homelessness for older women in NSW is increasing at a higher rate than that of any other demographic group, but that is the uncomfortable reality.
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In 2020 it was estimated that 405,000 women aged 45 years and over in Australia were at risk of homelessness, including 165,000 women aged 45-55 years; and 240,000 women aged 55 years and over.
These statistics reflect the lived realities of women, women who, after a lifetime of productively contributing to their communities, have been squeezed out of the housing market across metropolitan, rural, and regional areas and forced into housing insecurity.
According to the NSW Homelessness Strategy, women are at additional risk of homelessness if they are living in regional and rural areas, with two in five people who access Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) living outside of major cities.
In most instances, these women are invisible, they don't conform to the stereotypical view of homelessness, but they live with the daily stress of trying to find safe shelter.
They are forced into this situation by life events beyond their control- divorce or relationship breakdown, escaping family and domestic violence, housing eviction- resulting in an inability to find housing that they can afford.
Over the last 12 months, rents have risen nationally by approximately 11 per cent and by even more in regional NSW.
For example, in the Upper Hunter and Muswellbrook, by 15.2pc, and in Broken Hill and Forbes, by 14.3pc.
With fewer women than men owning their own homes, and that difference being greatest in regional NSW, women have greater exposure to changes in the rental market.
With a lack of affordable housing options, many women have been forced to leave their local communities to find housing elsewhere and, in so doing, leave behind their important family and support networks.
For many women experiencing homelessness, feelings of shame results in them "soldiering on" and failing to access government and community support services. In some instances, women do not see themselves as homeless and therefore don't reach out to specialised homeless support services, or they have limited knowledge of available social security services and how to access them.
We have a regional housing supply and affordability crisis.
The pace of development is not keeping up with demand, leading to a critical shortage of housing throughout NSW but particularly in regional NSW.
It is also clear in this context that we are failing to support many of our most vulnerable low-income households struggling to afford good-quality and well-located housing.
Responding to this crisis, members of the CWA of NSW unanimously endorsed policy at our annual state conference to advocate the state and Commonwealth governments to take coordinated and urgent action to address the national housing crisis facing women.
Given that the private housing market is failing to deliver enough affordable housing, we need coordinated action from all levels of government - local, state and federal - to take leadership to make sure community needs are met.
- Joy Beames is the CWA of NSW president
