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Older Women's Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper

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Older Women's Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper Exploring a growing problem April 2019 Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper | 1 © Australian Human Rights Commission 2019. The Australian Human Rights Commission encourages the dissemination and exchange of information presented in this publication and endorses the use of the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework (AusGOAL). All material presented in this publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, with the exception of: photographs and images; the Commission’s logo, any branding or trademarks; where otherwise indicated. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode In essence, you are free to copy, communicate and adapt the publication, as long as you attribute the Australian Human Rights Commission and abide by the other licence terms. Please give attribution to: © Australian Human Rights Commission 2019. Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper 2019 ISBN: 978-1-925917-01-7 Acknowledgements The Commission thanks and acknowledges Jeanette Large and Caroline Larcher of Women’s Property Initiative for their review and advice in the preparation of this paper. Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper was authored by the Hon. Dr Kay Patterson AO, Kathryn Proft and Joanna Maxwell. This publication can be found in electronic format on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s website at www.humanrights.gov.au/about/publications For further information about the Australian Human Rights Commission or copyright in this publication, please contact: Australian Human Rights Commission GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Telephone: (02) 9284 9600 Email: [email protected] Cover image: iStock Internal images: Outline of Australia on page 6 designed by PresentationGo.com 2 Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................... 4 1 Older women’s risk of homelessness .................................................... 6 1.1 What is homelessness? ...................................................................................... 6 1.2 Homelessness and human rights ..................................................................... 7 1.3 How many older women are homeless? .......................................................... 8 1.4 Who accesses homelessness services? ............................................................ 9 1.5 What causes older women to become homeless? ........................................ 10 1.6 What are the consequences of homelessness? ............................................ 14 1.7 The growing risk ............................................................................................... 15 2 Reducing Older Women’s Homelessness ............................................. 16 2.1 What can be done? ........................................................................................... 17 2.2 What are the next steps? ................................................................................. 27 2.3 Next steps for Age Discrimination Commissioner ........................................ 28 Appendix A: Shared Equity Scenarios ................................................................... 30 Appendix B: Rent-to-buy Scenarios ....................................................................... 39 Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper | 3 The Hon. Dr Kay Patterson AO Age Discrimination Commissioner Foreword In my term as the Age Discrimination Commissioner, I have chosen three priority areas—the rights of older workers, elder abuse and older women at risk of homelessness. The number of older homeless women in Australia increased by over 30% between 2011 and 2016 to nearly 7,000. We have an ageing population, a high cost of housing, and a significant gap in wealth accumulation between men and women across their lifetimes. Without innovative solutions this problem will continue to increase. There are a number of organisations working on the issue and advocating on behalf of women who are homeless. However, many of the services currently available focus on women with complex needs—those experiencing family violence or mental health issues, or who have exhausted their savings and their informal support options. Limited services are available for older women who are renting, working and have modest savings. The moment they are unable to work and pay their rent, they are likely to be homeless. While I am concerned about all women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, I am focusing on preventative solutions to assist this cohort of women. Older women’s circumstances vary with respect to their assets, income and capacity to work. A range of solutions is needed to assist them to achieve housing security and sustain it through retirement. This requires engagement across sectors to develop practical solutions—from property, finance and business, through to governments, community housing and philanthropy. This paper explores the issue of older women’s homelessness and a range of opportunities which may facilitate secure, ongoing housing arrangements for this cohort, including ways to capitalise on the financial assets and the capacity 4 of these women to work to increase the possibility of them achieving more permanent housing outcomes. It is vitally important that we act now to reduce the number of women reliant on social housing and at risk of homelessness, to ensure services are available for those most in need. The Hon. Dr Kay Patterson AO Age Discrimination Commissioner April 2019 Older Women’s Risk of Homelessness: Background Paper | 5 1 Older women’s risk of homelessness Increasing numbers of older women in Australia are * experiencing, or are at risk of homelessness, with a rise of over Quick Facts 30% in just 5 years.1 Experts recognise that due to the ‘hidden’ nature of older women’s homelessness, these figures may not represent the full extent of the issue today. There is a range of 6,866 older women underlying structural and cultural factors leading to women’s were homeless in 2016 economic disadvantage. This, coupled with an ageing population, means that the risk of homelessness among single older women is projected to increase. Population of women aged 55 and over: Homeless women typically stay with friends or family, live in 2012: 2.9m their car or in severely crowded dwellings, or are physically 2050: 6.0m ‘hiding’.2 Often older women are experiencing homelessness for the first time at this later stage in life, having lived Superannuation at conventional lives—and they may still be working or seeking retirement (average) work.3 Women: $157,050 Innovative solutions are needed to prevent women becoming Men: $270,710 homeless. Solutions must consider the range of life circumstances of women—from their assets, income and Older women make up: capacity to work, through to housing requirements and 19% of social housing; and preferences—and aim to enhance women’s housing and 16% of community economic security across the remainder of their working lives housing tenants and throughout retirement. This background paper provides context regarding older 18% of single older women’s homelessness. It offers some potential solutions to women are renting reduce women’s risk of homelessness with a focus on preventative and innovative approaches that look beyond social and community housing as the answer. 45% of older women who rent spend more 1.1 What is homelessness? than 30% of their income on rent Being homeless is not just about lack of access to shelter. Beyond a roof over your head, a home provides safety, security Two-thirds of single and stability, as well as the ability to control your living space, women on the Age and maintain community connections such as social networks, Pension who do not health care and other long-term supports.4 own their home have less than $50,000 in Homelessness occurs where there is the absence of one or assets more of these core elements of a home. A person may have * See endnote 121 inadequate housing, unstable or no tenure, no sense of safety or privacy, or no access to a space for social purposes. 6 Homelessness is commonly defined across three tiers, including: Primary homelessness: Often referred to as ‘rooflessness’ or ‘rough sleeping’, this includes people living without conventional accommodation, such as those living in the streets, squatting, living in parks and other improvised dwellings without tenure Secondary homelessness: Often referred to as ‘couch surfing’, this includes people moving between various forms of temporary shelter, including friends, family, emergency accommodation, youth refuges, hostels and boarding houses Tertiary homelessness: Includes people living long term in rented single rooms such as in boarding accommodation, with shared amenities but without security of tenure.5 The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) uses a broader definition when estimating homelessness. This includes people who may be living in conventional housing which lacks privacy, security and safety, or who may be living in severely crowded dwellings (which would require at least four more bedrooms to house the residents adequately).6 This paper adopts the common use of ‘older’ as 55 years and over in the context of homelessness, unless otherwise indicated. 1.2 Homelessness and human rights An adequate standard of living, including access to safe and
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