Older Women's Homelessness: designing smaller homes to meet rising demands

Older Women’s Homelessness: A Growing Crisis • 1 in 7 people experiencing homelessness are over 55 years old • Only 1.62 percent of properties across Australia are affordable for single people on the age pension • 14 percent of people aged 65-84, and 11 percent of people aged over 85, are now renting on the private market • Home ownership rates dropped to 42% by 2014 and are expected to continue to drop • 21,600 people over 55 asked for help from Specialist Homelessness Services in 2016 • Specialist Homelessness Services are forced to turn away 275 people every day, 177 of whom are women