Host

Housing Older Women Movement

Region

Queensland Statewide (all regions)

Networks Topics

Meeting Time

Bi monthly on the first Wednesday excluding January

Time

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Address

Zoom

Contact Details

howmovement100@gmail.com

Links

https://housingolderwomen.org.au/

Networks Description

Since Q Shelter convened the first forum in December 2019, over 160 people and organisations have been engaged in the issue of housing for older women in Queensland.

Momentum is building as more and more women over the age 45+yrs grapple with access to affordable, secure and amenable housing. Many are not in a position to own their own home, other housing options such as public, community and other social housing may not be accessible either. Over several decades a range of systems have failed to support women who are now in their 50’s or older.
The impact of housing insecurity resulting from being in unpaid carer roles with children and or unwell, aging relatives, gender pay inequity, lack of superannuation arising from irregular and low paid work, limited access to child support (at least until 1988 when it became mandatory), property settlements that did not enable the purchase of a new home, no or limited access to financial products for single women, and the high cost of private rental as the most accessible housing option add up to over 405,000 women across Australia aging with no secure housing options.
 
The HOW Movement has been supported by QShelter to give a voice to older women with a lived experience of housing insecurity.  Women have connected offering their experiences of insecure housing, and homelessness with a willingness to join with others to find solutions. There is now over a decade of research related to this significant social concern.

Q Shelter has continued throughout 2020 and beyond to support what has now become the Housing Older Women’s Movement (HOW M) to meet in person and via zoom meetings. Click here to register

So far the HOW Movement has…

  • invited in speakers to share research regarding the needs of older women no just in Qld but across Australia
  • invited experts in housing development to help in considering a range of different housing design, finance and management solutions
  • connected with small independent developers some of who have created responses from the needs they have experienced and observed for innovation in creating homes offering different options to meet a range of needs
  • participated in Q Shelter’s learning series on town planning and developed a much clearer picture of what helps and hinders new innovation in housing
  • conducted online forums with a range of speakers and participated in national level seminars, panels and other events considering the many dimensions of creating new housing options that will work best for older women aging in place and connected to community
  • prepared and delivered a HOW M devised platform to every candidate in the State election in October
  • made representation to other peak bodies for support
  • prepared funding applications and developed new partnerships

All this work and more was conducted for the most part via online meetings.

 

Coordination Group Plenary Meetings

Everyone is welcome to participate in these meetings this is where HOW M makes its decisions.

Bi monthly on the first Wednesday of each month 2pm – 4pm.

Those registered for meetings will receive Zoom details and locations for meetings together with meeting notifications.

Why HOW might be of interest:

  • You might be experiencing housing insecurity now or know others who are likely to be in the not too distant future. If not you it might be a concern for a friend; family member or acquaintance.
  • You might be a worker in the human services sector and know this situation exists for some of those with whom you work.
  • You might have expertise in the area of advocacy, housing supply related expertise in areas such as design, finance, town planning, financial modelling for shared equity arrangement, legal and contractual matters, land acquisition, building and development experience.

 

If you have these or another interest in finding and making real homes for and with older women and would like to connect we are asking you to register to participate firstly in the Coordinating Forum. At some point one of the working groups might be of interest and you may wish to offer your experience there as well.

 

How to connect:

  • Through its meeting registration process, HOW M uses technology to help stay in touch regarding meetings, zoom information, and face to face options and other special events.
  • Zoom details and meeting locations will be provided to those registered for meetings
  • The Forum on The Deck is where our working groups come together  and general conversation takes place
  • The HOW Movement also has a Facebook page. CLICK HERE to follow and share.
  • Please feel free to ask us to remove you from any further communication at any point.