Older people are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events such as heatwaves. The prohibitive costs of electricity or gas results in older people not using heating in winter or risking their health in summer as they are unable to make their homes energy efficient. The vast majority of non-homeowners have little control over improvements that make the biggest difference to costs, such as insulation, solar or other energy efficient fixed appliances.
The NSW Ageing on the Edge Forum recommends the NSW Government implement Energy Efficiency Rental Standards across NSW urgently, with a focus on prioritising households that are at higher risk of harm such as older people who are vulnerable to extreme weather events, and incorporate mechanisms to ensure older renters are consulted throughout the process including implementation.
Our submission draws on the lived experiences of older people applying for, and living in, social housing in NSW. We recommend that trauma informed approaches are taken with everyone applying for social housing and that older people are treated with dignity and respect, and highlight the need for a specialist older persons’ housing information and support service to support older people to navigate the social housing system and establish tenancies.
HAAG welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the NSW Draft Homelessness Strategy 2025 – 2035. We especially acknowledge the contributions to this submission made by members of HAAG’s advisory groups including NSW Lived Experience Acton Group (LEAG), National Alliance of Seniors for Housing (NASH), Retirement Accommodation Action Group (RAAG), LGBTQIA+ reference group and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) reference group.
The NSW Ageing on the Edge Pre-Budget Submission provides proposals to address the housing crisis for older people in NSW who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. We call on the NSW government to: fund a specialist older persons’ housing information and support service that comprises both an early intervention and crisis response; lower the priority age for social housing eligibility from 80 years as a matter of urgency; and build 5,000 social homes per year for 10 years, 20% of which should be dedicated to older people.
Currently, the private rental sector does not provide security of tenure, affordability or accessibility for older low-income households. For renting in retirement to be as secure as home ownership, it requires proper regulation and legislative reform to enable older people to age in place, in the communities that they are familiar with and close to their social networks.
Shane talks to Yumi Lee, CEO of the Older Women's Network NSW, about the housing crisis facing older people in NSW, and the inadequate response from the state's Labor government. Don't forget you can still donate to 3CR to keep shows like ours on the air at our radiothon page.
Sydney, June 18: Older people who are experiencing homelessness, couch surfing, and housing insecurity will continue to miss out on critical support that could prevent and end instances of homelessness, the latest NSW budget reveals.
At the latest gathering of the Ageing on Edge NSW Coalition we heard from Alex Greenwich MP, Minister Rose Jackson and Rental Commissioner Trina Jones. The campaign is building support for our key targets of creating a specialist housing support service for older people, lowering the priority age for priority housing access from 80 years, and building more Public and Community housing.
The NSW Ageing on the Edge Forum is a coalition of about 150 organisational supporters and members. The members of the Forum are advocates for change, including older people with lived experience of homelessness, service providers, peak advocacy bodies and private sector organisations, working together to address housing and homelessness related issues of older people.
Ageing on the Edge Coalition endorses the submissions and the recommendations of Shelter NSW and COTA NSW to this consultation paper.
The housing crisis is the worst in living memory. It is a humanitarian disaster. 750,000 people live in housing stress and are in desperate need of secure housing. What is on offer from federal and state governments is grossly inadequate and set to make the situation worse. Hear from a panel of activist researchers, unionists and housing activists from all over the country discuss how to achieve housing justice.
"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."