‘This is not how I want to see the end of my life’: The shocking truth about pensioners’ housing struggles
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Finding a stable place to call home in later life should be a comfort—not a constant worry.
Yet growing numbers of older Australians are confronting a harsh reality as housing costs soar and support systems fall short.
One woman’s story sheds light on a broader crisis affecting thousands across the country.
For many older Australians, the dream of retiring comfortably has turned into a harsh battle for basic accommodation.
The escalating cost of housing has left some in an impossible position—unable to find an affordable place to live.
One such individual, Susan Harvey, shared her experience of renting a room at the age of 69, a far cry from what she imagined for her later years.
She paid $200 per week to rent a room in a house, doing chores in exchange for reduced rent.
Ms Harvey had sold her cabin in a Tweed Heads caravan park to be closer to her elderly brother and his wife in Brisbane.
However, the budget she had from the sale—$260,000—was not enough to secure a suitable home, with properties either out of her price range or in unlivable conditions.
'I’m on such a meaningless pension that I can’t afford to pay rent, plus live or buy food,' she said.
'We have to be forced into renting a room from someone, and that’s not how I want to see the end of my life.'
Her story is not unique, as more older women find themselves in similar struggles, especially with the Age Pension being inadequate to cover private rental costs.
Anglicare Australia's rental affordability snapshot released in April revealed that just 0.3 per cent of more than 51,000 properties surveyed were affordable for single Australians on the Age Pension.
For couples, that figure increased slightly to 0.7 per cent.
The maximum full Age Pension for a single person is $1149 per fortnight, and for a couple, it's $1732.20 as of March 20, 2025.
Ms Harvey had been living in caravan parks since her divorce at age 52, having to 'start again' after a major life change.
She dreams of one day living in a retirement village but is finding it increasingly difficult to find a home that fits her financial reality.
Yumi Lee, CEO of Older Women's Network NSW, said stories like Ms Harvey’s were common.
She pointed out that the pension wasn’t enough to afford private rentals, and many women may not qualify for public housing or face long wait times.
The network runs a program called Homes for Older Women, which links older women with homeowners offering accommodation at reduced rates.
Ms Lee argued for more affordable housing options for older Australians, calling for a minimum of 20 per cent of housing stock to be dedicated to them.
She also called for the Age Pension rate to be lifted above the poverty line and for a vacancy tax on empty properties.
'No property should be empty when we have people who are sleeping in tents, in cars, and it’s not just older women, it is single mothers and children in really unsafe situations,' she said.
Ahead of the election, Patricia Sparrow, CEO of COTA Australia, emphasised the need for a 60 per cent increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance and innovative programs to help older women find affordable housing.
Sparrow explained that the homelessness crisis was the result of several factors, including gender pay gaps, low wages in female-dominated industries, and skyrocketing rents.
She noted that approximately 500,000 older women were at risk of homelessness, contributing to the problem.
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to build 1.2 million homes by the end of the decade, with plans to have 55,000 of those homes dedicated to social and affordable housing.
In 2023, the Commonwealth Rent Assistance program was increased by 15 per cent, with a further 10 per cent increase in 2024.
These changes brought the maximum rate for a single person with no children up by $66.20, reaching $212 per fortnight as of May 2022.
In a previous story, we explored how unused buildings in urban areas could be repurposed to ease the housing shortage.
The idea of transforming these spaces offers a potential solution to the growing crisis.
To learn more about this innovative approach, be sure to read the full story here.
As housing costs continue to rise, how can we ensure that older Australians aren’t left behind? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Yet growing numbers of older Australians are confronting a harsh reality as housing costs soar and support systems fall short.
One woman’s story sheds light on a broader crisis affecting thousands across the country.
For many older Australians, the dream of retiring comfortably has turned into a harsh battle for basic accommodation.
The escalating cost of housing has left some in an impossible position—unable to find an affordable place to live.
One such individual, Susan Harvey, shared her experience of renting a room at the age of 69, a far cry from what she imagined for her later years.
Pensioners face housing crisis in retirement years. Image source: Susan Harvey
She paid $200 per week to rent a room in a house, doing chores in exchange for reduced rent.
Ms Harvey had sold her cabin in a Tweed Heads caravan park to be closer to her elderly brother and his wife in Brisbane.
However, the budget she had from the sale—$260,000—was not enough to secure a suitable home, with properties either out of her price range or in unlivable conditions.
'I’m on such a meaningless pension that I can’t afford to pay rent, plus live or buy food,' she said.
'We have to be forced into renting a room from someone, and that’s not how I want to see the end of my life.'
Her story is not unique, as more older women find themselves in similar struggles, especially with the Age Pension being inadequate to cover private rental costs.
Anglicare Australia's rental affordability snapshot released in April revealed that just 0.3 per cent of more than 51,000 properties surveyed were affordable for single Australians on the Age Pension.
For couples, that figure increased slightly to 0.7 per cent.
The maximum full Age Pension for a single person is $1149 per fortnight, and for a couple, it's $1732.20 as of March 20, 2025.
Ms Harvey had been living in caravan parks since her divorce at age 52, having to 'start again' after a major life change.
She dreams of one day living in a retirement village but is finding it increasingly difficult to find a home that fits her financial reality.
Yumi Lee, CEO of Older Women's Network NSW, said stories like Ms Harvey’s were common.
She pointed out that the pension wasn’t enough to afford private rentals, and many women may not qualify for public housing or face long wait times.
The network runs a program called Homes for Older Women, which links older women with homeowners offering accommodation at reduced rates.
Ms Lee argued for more affordable housing options for older Australians, calling for a minimum of 20 per cent of housing stock to be dedicated to them.
She also called for the Age Pension rate to be lifted above the poverty line and for a vacancy tax on empty properties.
'No property should be empty when we have people who are sleeping in tents, in cars, and it’s not just older women, it is single mothers and children in really unsafe situations,' she said.
Ahead of the election, Patricia Sparrow, CEO of COTA Australia, emphasised the need for a 60 per cent increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance and innovative programs to help older women find affordable housing.
Sparrow explained that the homelessness crisis was the result of several factors, including gender pay gaps, low wages in female-dominated industries, and skyrocketing rents.
She noted that approximately 500,000 older women were at risk of homelessness, contributing to the problem.
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to build 1.2 million homes by the end of the decade, with plans to have 55,000 of those homes dedicated to social and affordable housing.
In 2023, the Commonwealth Rent Assistance program was increased by 15 per cent, with a further 10 per cent increase in 2024.
These changes brought the maximum rate for a single person with no children up by $66.20, reaching $212 per fortnight as of May 2022.
In a previous story, we explored how unused buildings in urban areas could be repurposed to ease the housing shortage.
The idea of transforming these spaces offers a potential solution to the growing crisis.
To learn more about this innovative approach, be sure to read the full story here.
As housing costs continue to rise, how can we ensure that older Australians aren’t left behind? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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