The report revealed that that older women (aged 55 or over) was just short of doubling in just over 10 years from 7,300 women in 2011–12 to 14,400 women in 2022–23. 

Given the ongoing shortage of affordable housing, the ageing population and the significant gap in wealth accumulation between men and women across their lifetimes, this is a trend that is sadly likely to continue for many women in the years to come.

Alice is one of these women. Her story is one of resilience and strength while facing some extremely challenging circumstances.  

After her divorce,  Alice was left with crippling debt and the burden of paying off what was once her dream car, which she eventually had to sell to maintain a good credit rating. A financial counsellor helped her navigate her debt, but the road to stability was far from easy.

Unable to afford the rental she once shared with her husband, Alice moved into her friend’s house but her living situation soon became increasingly difficult when her friends husband found the living situation to be too challenging. With nowhere else to go, Alice lived in her car. Soon after she lost her job.

Without other sources of support such as Tranby House, she wouldn’t have been able to shower or do her laundry. Thankfully, she is now living in transitional housing thanks to Uniting WA. However, the options for women over 55 who find themselves without permanent accommodation are very few. Alice shares a house with four other women, some of whom have come from domestic violence situations, while another like her, have found themselves spiralling into debt after divorce and then hit with the cost-of-living crisis.

Throughout these hardships, Foodbank has been a huge help and a comfort to Alice. She says, “Without Foodbank, there would be weeks that I would not be able to eat three meals a day. The cost-of-living crisis is out of control and so is the rental market. It’s impossible to navigate let alone try to get back on top.” Alice has had to skip meals a lot, but Mobile Foodbank has provided her with much-needed relief. “Foodbank takes the pressure off. It’s one less thing for me to worry about. I am so grateful,” she adds.

Everyone needs a safe and secure home, where we can live close to family and friends, especially as we grow older. It’s shameful that many older women are now facing an insecure future of homelessness and housing instability.

The 2016 Census showed that older women were the fastest growing group to experience homelessness in Australia. The number of women over 55 experiencing homelessness increased by 31% to 6,866, compared to 2011. The 2021 Census reported an increase of 6.6% to 7,325 women over 55 experiencing homelessness.

Research shows that most women experiencing homelessness have never been homeless before. This person could be your sister, aunt, mother or grandmother.

Alice’s story highlights the critical role that we play in supporting individuals facing financial hardship and housing instability and highlights the importance of having accessible support systems in place to help those in need navigate their way to a more stable and secure future. 

Today, Monique is a full-time Company Secretary and Administration Manager. She’s also a single mum to two boys, aged 9 and 12. She’s positive, grateful and incredibly resourceful. She shops smart – between Foodbank WA, Aldi and Woolies markdowns – and plans every meal with precision. She has a degree in economics and uses her skills to stretch every dollar.

But even with a full-time income, Monique is left with next to nothing after paying her mortgage (almost half her salary), school expenses, medication and bills. Her sons are both neurodivergent, and so is she. There’s no child support. No legal assistance. No Centrelink. Thanks to the final Family Violence Restraining Order, her family is now safe, but she can’t communicate with her ex directly which slows the pace considerably of her being able to sell their home or downsize.

She’s has a good income on paper, but her reality is very different.

Monique is a survivor of family and domestic violence. Her ex-husband used coercive control for years – isolating her, taking her money, monitoring her every move. When she finally fled, he destroyed their home and breached court orders. The judge called it one of the worst cases she’d seen.

She came out of that relationship with nothing. No credit history. No financial safety net. No support. Just the fear of not being able to feed her kids.

That’s when she found Foodbank WA.

“Through my RUAH caseworker, I was connected with a wonderful financial counsellor who told me that there was help available. He said, ‘Let’s look at this. You need to stay in your house. You can’t afford anything at all, but I can help with the Foodbank card.’ He asked me, ‘What’s your biggest fear?’ and I said, ‘Not being able to feed the kids. Not having enough milk for their Weetbix.’”

Now, Monique shops at our Perth Airport location. It’s close to her partner’s house, and it’s familiar – important for someone who is autistic. She’s built a system around her shopping, planning meals with what she finds at Foodbank WA.

“I love Foodbank. You get your perishable foods, semi-perishable foods, and free fruit and veg. That’s amazing. I’m a big advocate. You just have to think outside the box.”

Her youngest son recently said, “There are people out there that are so kind they organise facilities like this.” He’s nine. He gets it.

Monique teaches her boys about kindness. About resilience. About giving back. She’s honest with them about where they’re at. They know they’re doing it tough. But they also know they’re not alone.

“I don’t ask for help. It’s not easy for me. But it’s such a relief to know I can shop at Foodbank. Like a really big weight lifted off your chest. Knowing you have enough food to feed your family.”

Every time she visits, there’s something new. Eggs. Milk. Treats for the kids. She gets a little kick out of it. “Yay! I got eggs today!”

Monique’s story is one of courage, planning and love. She’s doing everything she can to keep her family safe, fed and together.

And she’s not alone. There are thousands of Western Australians just like Monique – working hard, doing their best, and still needing help.

Your donation helps us be there for them.

It helps us stock our shelves with essentials. It helps us run our Community Kitchen. It helps us keep our Mobile Foodbank on the road. It helps us say yes when someone like Monique walks through our doors.

If you can be anything, be kind.