Publications

The options set out in this paper show a serious lack of understanding of the issues raised by residents and other stakeholder about retirement village residencies. Retirement villages are too often unfair and exploitative. The Options Paper proceeds as if the problems were only that residents mistakenly perceived villages to be unfair and exploitative, or as if more information would resolve resident concerns. This is not the case. Again and again, the options paper proposes more information rather than increased protections for residents. This is a persistent failure of the options paper, and if the government proceeds on this basis the reform process will fail current and future retirement village residents.

PDF icon Read our submission

The current Retirement Villages Act Review is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul the regulatory framework for retirement villages in Victoria. We have the chance to future-proof this legislation, and lead the nation in terms of retirement village regulation, which will enhance resident confidence in the sector.

We see the Options Paper as a non-definitive list of ways we can improve retirement village regulation in Victoria. We have set out our shared vision and recommendations for the review in this joint submission with the Consumer Action Law Centre, Council on the The Ageing Victoria, and Residents of Retirement Villages Victoria.

PDF icon Read our joint submission here

Can you identify an older person experiencing or at risk of homelessness, or know what aged care services are available to them?

In OPAN's live webinar on March 30 2021 we discussed how aged care workers can support older people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. HAAG joined this panel of experts explored how to identify homelessness among older people, an overview of existing support services, service access barriers and solutions and supporting homeless or at-risk individuals to access services.

Our submission covers all areas of HAAGs work in relation to the Victorian Governments 10 year affordable housing strategy and 'Big Housing Build'.
We recommend that the Government must take steps to produce more housing that is suitable for and available to older people at risk of homelessness. This could mean reinvestment in the Independent Living Unit (ILU) sector, changes to social housing eligibility, further increases in housing stock, targeted shared equity initiatives and/or support to scale pilot projects.

PDF icon Read the submission

 

Our CALD working group made this submission to highlight what older CALD communities need from the State Government's 10 year housing strategy.

PDF icon Read the submission here

Our Autumn newsletter discussed the so called 'Big Housing Build', all the exciting projects happening at HAAG, and we also show off some of our autumn vegetable harvests.

PDF icon Read the Newsletter here

Some older people, particularly older women, are falling through the gaps of the housing system

Most older women experiencing homelessness have not been homeless before and have experienced ‘conventional’ housing histories throughout their life. This means they often
do not identify as being homeless or know where to turn for help. For this reason, the cohort of older women at risk of homelessness is often described as ‘invisible’.

HAAG, in partnership with Debbie Faulkner of the University of Adelaide (and now University of South Australia), has documented the homelessness trends of
older people in all states and territories over the last five years.

PDF icon Read the Parity Article by Gemma White, Kobi Maglen and Melis Cevik

National Alliance of Seniors for Housing, and Older Women Lost in Housing member Penny Leimhuis shares her experiences of homelessness.

PDF icon Read the Parity Article

The public perception of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people is largely one of a young, affluent community. However, the reality is that within the LGBTI community, a large  share of LGBTI adults are older, of low-socioeconomic status and at risk of homelessness. LGBTI elders are more likely to live in poverty and experience homelessness, compared to the mainstream population due to both the complexity of their experiences and difficulty accessing services.

PDF icon Read the article by Rebecca Walton

The Ageing on the Edge New South Wales Forum is calling on the NSW Government to deliver 5,000 additional social housing dwellings, improve access of older people to appropriate social and affordable housing, establish a state-wide housing information and support service for older people, increase security of tenure for renters, extend the eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic and expand rent support to impacted tenants.

PDF icon Read the pre-budget submission


This project report outlines an early intervention homelessness prevention strategy of collaboration between aged care and housing sectors. It outlines HAAG's projects of delivering training to Aged Care Assessment Services and Regional Assessment Services staff about the risk factors for homelessness, the priority housing system and housing options for older people. The project aimed to create and strengthen referral pathways between the housing and aged care sectors, using existing assessment tools and referral systems to improve client outcomes.

PDF icon Read the project report

 

Older woman’s home owning status in Australia has been inextricably linked to partnering with a male because historically, single women were denied home loans. A critical life event such as illness, unemployment or loss of partner can have enduring consequences for housing security. Women on average are paid 17 per cent less than men throughout their life course and have half the superannuation and savings on retirement, with 55 per cent of women 60 years and older having no superannuation at all. Casualisation, interrupted workforce participation and unpaid domestic and caring labour mean that women have less diverse assets and greater financial risk in later years.4 Family violence is the leading cause of homelessness
in women of all ages. Associated financial abuse has multiple impacts including damaged credit ratings and loss of the family home. Older women also have greater barriers to sustaining employment due to age and sex discrimination, and greater pressure to financially support adult children.

PDF icon Read the article by Frances Every and Leonie Bessant

Our final newsletter for the epic year that was two thousand and twenty.

PDF icon Read the newsletter here

This report compares tenants rights and legislative and policy frameworks for public housing and community housing, with a focus on how these are experienced by older tenants. By foregrounding the perspectives of older tenants, this report hopes to provide insight into the personal impact of the systems that shape tenant’s housing experiences. This report also includes the experiences of housing support workers, to provide additional insight into the processes by which tenants access public and community housing.

PDF icon Read the report here

Our Annual Report looks at our achievements over the 2019-20 financial year, our campaigns, actions and events, the growth of our services, and the many projects under the HAAG umbrella.

PDF icon Read the report

PDF icon 2019-2020 Audited  Financial Statement.pdf

 

This booklet compiles stories from older people experiencing homelessness and housing stress from around Australia, who form the the National Alliance of Seniors for Housing, advocating for safe and affordable housing for older people.

PDF icon Read 'Seniors for Housing'


This report provides a brief snapshot of homelessness and the risk of homelessness for people aged 55 years and over in Tasmania.

PDF icon Read the full report

 

This report presents the findings of a study of the housing experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) older people in Victoria, undertaken by Housing for the Aged Action Group.

It aims to begin to bridge the critical gap in research by identifying the current housing circumstances and concerns of LGBTI older Victorians. We hope that the findings can be used to better inform research, policy and best practice and improve sector and policy responses surrounding older LGBTI people and Housing in order to reduce the number of LGBTI older people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

PDF icon Read the Policy Snapshot

PDF icon Read the Final Report

Consumer Action, WEstjustice, VALS, FCVic, BCLS, HRCLS and HAAG consider it beyond dispute that telecommunications services, including internet services and mobile phones, are necessary for social inclusion and daily participation in essential activities. The ongoing COVID-19 emergency and associated social distancing, border closures, office and school closures, and quarantine requirements have made this painfully obvious. Despite telecommunications being an essential service, they are not regulated as such.

Read our Joint Submission to the Consumer Safeguards Review

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