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                    Alternative housing pathways for older women

                    Group of older women having discussion
                    As housing prices increase, more and more older women are seeking access to affordable housing alternatives.

                    Residential aged care homes, retirement villages, expensive private rentals and traditional owner-mortgage arrangements are no longer meeting the financial or social needs of many.

                    With women over the age of 55 now the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness in the country, there is an urgency in addressing this crisis.

                    In need of support with housing options for older people?

                    If so, please reach out to the services below:

                    Housing for the Aged Action Group (HAAG)
                    Independent advice, information and practical housing support for over 50s.
                    Phone: 1300 765 178

                    Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria
                    COTA Victoria is the leading not-for-profit organisation representing the interests and rights of people aged 50+ in Victoria.

                    In light of this issue, City of Melbourne and Homes Melbourne drew together a panel of experts to present existing and alternative pathways for those impacted by housing insecurity, as part of MPavilion’s Making Home series. 

                    Making Home featured a range of presentations seeking to unpack the issues and policies that have led to this current environment and introduced audiences to those working to challenge the status quo. 

                    Our conversation, titled Where to Next? Alternative Housing Options and Pathways, benefitted greatly from the diversity of expertise and connection to the topic our panellists brought to the table, featuring contributions from:

                    • Anneke Deutsch – President of WINC – Older Women in Cohousing
                    • Caryn Kakas – Head of Housing Strategy, ANZ Bank
                    • Jennifer Kulas – Development Manager, Nightingale Housing, 2020 Churchill Fellow investigating innovative housing models for women
                    • Natasha Liddell – Development Manager, Women’s Property initiative

                    To listen to highlights from the conversation, against a timelapse of the graphic recording captured at the event, watch the video below:

                    ​You can listen to the panel discussion in full via MPavilion's Podcast, which can be found on all major podcast hosting sites including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Soundcloud.

                    Further Resources:
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