Homeless older Aussies seek shelter
One-fifth of homeless Australians are aged 55 years and over, new research has found. The report, Homelessness and older Australians: Scoping the issues was the first of two reports on the issue compiled by researchers from The University of Queensland.
One-fifth of homeless Australians are aged 55 years and over, new research has found.
The report, Homelessness and older Australians: Scoping the issues was the first of two reports on the issue compiled by researchers from The University of Queensland, commissioned as part of the National Homelessness Research Agenda 2009-13.
The report found there was evidence many older people found it extremely difficult to access the services they require when faced with homelessness or the risk of homelessness.
Releasing the study on International Day of Older Persons recently, the Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Brendan O’Connor, said: “We also know that Australia’s population is ageing and the number of people aged 50 and over is predicted to more than double from 2010 to 2050.”
“This tells us that later life homelessness is likely to be a growing issue requiring sustained attention and sustainable strategies.
“Part of the problem is a lack of affordable housing for senior Australians, and that is why we are investing more than $20 billion in social and affordable housing measures, ensuring that a proportion of these homes are specifically earmarked for older Australians,” he said.
He added further research would be undertaken to shed a light to specific issues affecting homeless older Australians and would explore potential policy and program responses to these issues.
