The number of homeless women in Orange is rising.
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A bleak picture of women over 55 sleeping rough and coming to refuges after marriage breakdowns or being ripped off by younger family members has been painted by Mission Australia.
General manager for aged care, Jill Bicknell, said more women were at risk of homelessness.
“I can see that it will go up,” she said.
“We are seeing a lot more women who are on the street.
“Some are trying to flee domestic violence.
“It is a lot more visible now in Orange.
“Women are coming out of marriage breakdowns and they don’t have superannuation.
“Some are sleeping rough, some are in refuges.
“Some are coming from very unaffordable rentals, they’ve not got the money to feed themselves.”
Ms Bicknell said elder abuse, where older women were mis-treated mainly by family members, was increasing in Orange and Sydney.
“It is new down in Sydney too, they are suffering psychologically, mentally and physically.
“It is the money aspect, they are trying to get the pension from the elderly person.
“Younger ones will befriend them and move in with them and treat them appallingly.”
Orange’s new facility for aged homeless people, Benjamin Short Grove [BSG], has opened ahead of its official launch next week.
Ms Bicknell said there were currently eight women in the facility and half of them had suffered domestic violence or elder abuse.
She said 45 per cent of the people in BSG were women which was higher than similar facilities in Sydney.
Just 19 per cent of people at Mission Australia’s Surry Hills facility and 34 per cent at the Redfern facility are women.
Mission Australia chief executive Catherine Yeomans said more women than men over 65 were renting and many struggled to afford it.
“The high cost of housing is placing great financial strain on many older people, particularly those who are renting,” she said.
“It is a tragedy that older people don’t have the financial supports they need to stay in stable and secure accommodation.
“We need to invest in social housing that is appropriate for older people.”
She said Mission Australia was calling on all levels of government to build 60,000 more social housing dwellings for older people.