THE GROWING COHORT: HOMELESSNESS AND OLDER WOMEN IN GIPPSLAND
SEEKING A SOLUTION
Quantum Support Services is just one of the regional housing support services calling for more funding. In June this year, Quantum CEO Natalie McDonald called for a sustainable funding stream to support the organisation help Gippsland’s most vulnerable through social housing and affordable housing.
“Housing options are just no longer as readily available or affordable as they were pre-2020 and we predict that this is going to continue to worsen. As a rural community we also have less resources and housing options in general,” Ms McDonald said.
Despite these calls for assistance, housing affordability and availability is still a problem, especially for older women who cannot afford private rentals.
One organisation attempting to ease the housing shortage for older women experiencing homelessness in the Baw Baw Shire is Fairview Village.
One organisation attempting to ease the housing shortage for older women experiencing homelessness in the Baw Baw Shire is Fairview Village.
Fairview Village is a not-for-profit retirement home with both residential care and independent living options for residents.
Dianne Wallace, managing director and CEO Fairview Village
Fairview is transforming four units into housing for older women experiencing homelessness in partnership with Quantum Support Services.
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Fairview Village managing director and CEO Dianne Wallace said she had long been aware of the challenges many older women face and recognised that Fairview could help.
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“I noted that we had four of the original units used for the women whose husbands had died during the war sitting there. And they were being used for storage,” Ms Wallace said.
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“And I thought, well, storage is a terrible waste of a building that could actually be used for a purpose.”
After being appointed Ms Wallace met with Liberal candidate for Narracan Wayne Farnham, a local construction business owner, who offered to help her achieve her goal and transform four units into accommodations for older women. Mr Farnham introduced Ms Wallace to the team at Quantum Support Services and project planning offically began in mid-2022.
The project has almost come to fruition, and the units are currently in midst of being renovated. Each unit has a kitchen, laundry, bedroom, porch and sitting area.
Once completed, four women being supported by Quantum will move into the single-bedroom dwellings, and will be invited to be a part of the Fairview community during their stay.
"“Women will be invited to be a participant, a member of the community, here in the village,” Ms Wallace explained.
“They will be entitled to be a member of the Independent Living Residence Association, attend meetings, and those meetings usually have a guest speaker that gives information sessions about services or topics or issues that older Australians are thinking about.”
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Ms Wallace said other groups that exist within the village are a gardening group, exercise group and table games groups.
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Residents of the Village have been told about the project, and Ms Wallace said they have asked a number of questions, and are now “excitedly looking forward to welcoming” the new residents.
Ms Dobson from Quantum Support Services said the project is “an amazing opportunity” and something that Quantum are “really, really, happy to come on board with”.
She said when women present to Quantum experiencing homelessness they have been quite isolated from the community, and the opportunity to become a part of Fairview and be connected with activities and access services like public transport is “a huge bonus”.
Ms Dobson said although homelessness is a huge issue Australia-wide, regional communities do not have the same platforms of services and throughput with housing as metro areas, which can act as a barrier for people seeking help.
“I guess one of the barriers is the significant demand on services at the moment as well,” she said.
“There’s also a lot of shame attached to homelessness and often that is a barrier for women to present. Sometimes they will remain in their situations for quite a period of time before they will attend a service and identify that they need support.”