our projects

THE FORGOTTEN WOMEN PROJECT

Almost 700 women in the Greater Brisbane area aged over 55 years are homeless......

The Forgotten Women's project mission is to put a roof over the heads of as many of these vulnerable women as possible. This project is a unique, grassroots housing initiative for homeless women over 55 that will allow women to age in place with dignity and security.

through the simple acquisition of suitable properties, The Forgotten Women project will ensure these women have access to secure, safe and affordable housing options

40 000 QUEENSLAND WOMEN AT RISK

1 in 7 people experiencing homelessness in Australia are over 55

over 39 000 women over the age of 55 are at risk of becoming homeless. This figure is predicted to double by 2036

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

64% of older people living on the street are at risk of death within five

years

Why are they the Fastest Growing Homeless Population?

lack of financial resources:

equal pay wasn’t granted until 1969
superannuation wasn’t compulsory until 1992
between 1940 - 1960 women accounted for

only 25% of the workforce

equal opportunity wasn’t enacted

until the 1980’s

gaps in workforce participation to raise

children (baby boomers)

separated and/or windowed

fear & stigma:

A large majority of these women have limited or no prior experience of having to seek assistance and therefore lack an of understanding of
the service systems available to them
generational stigma associated with seeking welfare assistance
reluctance to identify as living in poverty or homeless

affordability:

Australia is in the midst of an Affordable Housing crisis
as the cost of housing rises so too does the physical distance between where they live now and where there are affordable housing options
removing women from the areas in which they have established social and support networks only seeks to isolate them further
inability to age in place
at risk of premature entry into the aged care system

Our Annual Major Fundraiser: The Live Like Her Challenge

The Live Like Her Challenge is the major fundraiser for The Forgotten Women.

It is an event held in early September were participants spends one night sleeping in their car, symbolizing the challenging circumstances of The Forgotten Women, who endure this reality on a daily basis, and in doing so fundraise crucial money to house these women into safe and secure housing.

In its second year, the Live Like Her Challenge built on the success of its inaugural event, which raised $105,000 with nearly 50 cars. This year, more than doubling these numbers, with 178 individuals in 114 cars participating and raising $246,034.