1. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

2. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing Homeless is defined as:
Represents approx 600,000 women in Australia aged 45+ who are, or who are at risk of homeless. (ABS census, 2011)
Homeless is defined as:
Living rough on the street
Couch surfing going from place to place
Living in substandard insecure tenancy conditions
This cohort had been identified as “the new face of homelessness” (Sharam, 2011: ACT Shelter, 2014: Anglicare, 2015).
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

3. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

4. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing
A secure affordable appropriate home is where all other life exists from.
A home provides the base for a life connected with family, community, physical health & wellbeing, positive mental health, access to good quality food, economic security.
Enables life to be lived with a sense of belonging, purpose and meaning.
Home offers the
Opportunity to Flourish
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

5. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing
‘Hidden and Underrepresented’
O.W.L’s advocates to raise awareness of the lack of secure affordable appropriate housing in Australia for these women.
Through forums
Media Radio T.V Newspaper
Community sector
Developers
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

6. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing equity
Seeks to reform the systemic inequities that contribute to older women’s housing vulnerability.
Through policy change at government level
Gender pay equity
Superannuation equity
Relationship settlement equity
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

7. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing SOCIAL JUSTICE
Social inclusion
Breaking down stereotypes of homelessness
O.W.L’s express a sense of shame at being in the position they find themselves in.
It can happen to anyone!
A disability or disease
A relationship breakdown
Family violence
In combination with the common factors of generational gender inequity housing vulnerability is a social problem
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

8. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing resilience
warnwww.sbs.com.au/.../video/ / Anglicare-warns-older -singles-older-single
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

9. O.W.L’s Older Women Lost in housing ORGANISATIONS
YWCA Equality Rights Alliance
ACT Shelter
Anglicare
ACTCOSS (ACT Council of Social Services)
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015

10. References
ACT Shelter, (2014). Home truths older women’s housing vulnerability in the ACT.
Retrieved from housing-vulnerability
Anglicare, King, S. Paleologos, Z. Leemhuis, P. (2015). Anglicare National
Conference, Leaving no one behind: Dialogues of homelessness. Retrieved from
WHSharam, A. (2011). A predictable crisis: older, single women as the new face of
homelessness. Retrieved from
IN AND WHGNE. (2014). Living Longer On Less. Retrieved from
O.W.L's Sustainable communities 2015