The number of women over the age of 55 seeking support from homelessness services has increased by 55 percent in the past decade, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
About 5000 people each year are in urgent need of housing, with 50,000 to 60,000 people consistently on the waitlist for social housing in NSW.
To address the issue, the NSW government has now committed more than $18 million to create 78 new dwellings in areas such as Seven Hills, Camden, Revesby and Maroubra.
Community housing provider, Women’s Housing Company, will offer design consultation to create fit-for-purpose bedroom units. They will all solely exist for older women.
The CEO of Women’s Housing Company, Debbie Georgopoulos, told the newspaper the government partnership was a welcome step forward, but conceded 78 dwellings was “a drop in the ocean.”
“For single women on the aged pension, there are no affordable properties in greater Sydney. We need to maximise the number of units with the best design possible, so women can age in place,” Ms Georgopoulos said.
The investment comes after the Perrottet government last month committed almost $500 million to extra refuges for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.
