Call for older lesbians to apply for housing in Victoria
Older lesbians experiencing housing or financial hardship are invited to apply to live in one of three two-bedroom subsidised apartments in Brunswick, Melbourne which will be available mid 2011.
The Matrix Guild, an organisation providing a voice for older lesbians, bought the apartments with a bequest which was augmented from the Federal Government’s social housing fund, and supported by the Victorian Women’s Housing Association.
The Sydney Star Observer online reported Matrix Guild housing project convenor, Anneke Deutsch, saying the almost-completed housing is the realisation of a dream for the organisation.
“Matrix was started with the view there’s so much prejudice in aged care, we need an old dykes’ home. Wouldn’t it be fun if we could all play cards and hang around together and be ourselves and not have to be closeted in a nursing home,” Ms Deutsch said.
“To establish a nursing home is a huge enterprise and extremely costly and we also realised that most older women don’t live in nursing homes. Most older women, like any other older people, want to live in their own flat, so there’s probably more of a need for independent housing.”
The purpose-built apartments have full wheelchair access, are close to public transport and services and will be rented out at 25% of total household income, similar to public housing rental rates.
Matrix Guild is looking for women aged over 65-years, single or in a couple, whose main income is the pension and who do not have property or assets over $30,000 to apply.
A full list of eligibility criteria is available on the Matrix website http://www.matrixguildvic.org.au
