Did you see the powerful and devastating ABC documentary recently about the housing crisis facing older Australian women?
Older women are the hidden faces of homelessness. The ABC’s “Under Cover” documentary shared the stories of 10 women from across Australia and shines a light on the fact that women aged over 50 are the fasting growing group of Australians experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
An alarming number of older women are finding themselves in the uncertain and terrifying situation of becoming homeless because of unexpected life events; They lose their job, experience a relationship breakdown or a health issue, are evicted from their property, or have escaped domestic violence.
The documentary points out that women’s homelessness is often not visible – homelessness is often seen as a man’s issue.
‘What comes to mind is a man sleeping rough on a park bench. You don’t tend to think about someone’s daughter, mother, grandmother … These women are all over the country. It is a crisis on our doorstep.’
Women often have less wealth to fall back on because of lower pay and lower Superannuation. Issues such as the ongoing gender pay gap, differences in workforce participation, and the lifelong gendered expectation of unpaid caring roles means that the homeless experience is becoming more pronounced for older women than older men.
High rents and house prices have also created an environment in which women may be forced to live in their cars, stay with friends, or live in short-term accommodation or refuges. These are women who have had good jobs and raised children who are now struggling to find a safe and secure home.
And a home is so important; Without a home, it is difficult to establish the strong social, economic, and cultural ties that are important to a person’s dignity and overall well-being. Home is a place to feel safe and build a future.
Without a home, it is very difficult to find paid work. It is also difficult to access health and other public services. When a person has a home, it is easier to seek help and it is easier for aid organisations to reach out.
How we can support women experiencing or at risk of homelessness
Our elder and family law teams are seeing this issue firsthand. Our lawyers can help women with advice and support to help prevent or deal with pending homelessness.
When a relationship breaks down, you need someone to ensure you get your fair share of wealth and assets. It is important that women seek legal advice as soon as possible so that all available means are utilised to ensure financial provision is readily available to those who need it, and therefore, the risk of homelessness can be appropriately managed.
It is also extraordinarily important that women ensure they have made arrangements for their future needs. This includes getting advice on estate planning documents such as Wills and appointing Powers of Attorney and Enduring Guardians (for both themselves and their partners). Sometimes women are surprised that their partner’s Will doesn’t provide for them as they thought it would – especially if it is a second relationship or a blended family. The cost of failing to prepare can be devastating.
If women have been unreasonably excluded from or inadequately provided for in a Will, we can help to contest such Wills. We also represent women whose partner’s Will is being contested by others so that their needs are not overlooked in that process. If a partner dies without a Will, delays in determining the Will can be the wedge that pushes women into homelessness.
We are also experts in navigating aged care accommodation contracts whether that be mobile home villages, retirement villages, or Over 55s accommodation. It is also important to protect women from financial elder abuse, which can occur in situations where they agree to sell a home and move in with children or other family members, in a granny flat arrangement. Sometimes this does not work out as happily as expected – leaving the older person with no property and limited means for redress. These arrangements should always be discussed with a lawyer beforehand – even when parties are confident that nothing will go wrong. A proper agreement is important even when parties are on the same side.
Our free eBooks have information for women on these legal issues.
Our firm is a member of the Public Interest Advocacy Service (PIAC), which does a great job advocating for housing reform. Its Homeless Person’s Legal Service has supported thousands of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, while also providing practical policy solutions and urging for government action. Last year, it launched the Women’s Homelessness Prevention Service. It offers free legal advice and connection to a range of support services. But unfortunately, only in Sydney. There is generally less support in regional and rural areas.
Hunter Homeless Connect is a not for profit collective of service providers working to tackle homelessness for women and men in the NSW Hunter region where our firm is based. It has a services directory and other initiatives to support people experiencing homelessness.
More about Under Cover
Under Cover is narrated by Australian actress Margot Robbie and was written, directed, and co-produced by documentary filmmaker Sue Thomson.
You can watch the film here on ABC iview.
Read more about the documentary here.
How we can help
Call our team for a no obligation discussion on 1800 874 949 or fill out the contact form below, and we will be in touch.
