about us

Founded by Mangrove Community Homes, The Forgotten Women is a dedicated initiative aimed at providing safe and secure housing for women over 55. Through restoring the simple dignity of having a place to call home, we are helping to give these women stability and the chance to age in place without fear of becoming homeless.

why are we helping

1 in 7 people experiencing homelessness in Australia are over 55
Women over 55 are the fasted growing homeless population in Australia today
The number of homeless older women is set to double by 2032

how we are helping

We're delivering a dedicated pipeline of building projects that are adding much needed affordable housing supply for older women

We're providing access to affordable rental properties

We're providing weekly rental top-ups, ensuring older women can remain in their homes

We're raising awareness and providing a platform for older women to tell their stories

why are they the fastest growing homeless group?

1

limited financial resources

work history

no superannuation

women over 55 are likely to have 40% less superannuation than their male counterparts

limited savings

pay inequality

equal pay wasn’t granted until 1969

babyboomers

raising children

1940 - 1960 women accounted for only 25% of the workforce

widowed

38% of women aged 65+ are widowed

separated

2

fear & stigma

generational stigma

stigma associated with seeking welfare assistance

reluctance to identify as living in poverty or homeless

limited system knowledge

stoic

lack of knowledge about the services available to them

failure to see themselves as needing help

financial control

lifetime of partner managing and controlling finances

3

housing supply

affordability

unable to access financing

cost prohibitive mortgage age limitations

pension and rental assistance payments not keeping up with cost of living increases

older women are at risk of pre-maturely entered into the aged care system due to lack of affordable housing options.

housing crisis

low supply, high costs

rental market

high costs

older women's income is not competitive in rental applications

building and property purchases must be in areas these women have lived their lives)

buy, build, renovate and refurbish only suitable housing

long term affordability

key values embedded in the initiative

no relocation away from support networks, family and services

fit-for-purpose homes that support aging in place

+

income vs marketplace based affordability calculations

rent not to exceed 30% of total income regardless of marketplace rates