More Than Shelter: Responding to Hidden Homelessness This Winter

As winter sets in, the reality of homelessness becomes even more urgent, yet for many women, it remains unseen. Anglicare’s More Than Shelter report highlights the growing number of older women experiencing “hidden homelessness” — sleeping in cars, staying with friends, or living in unsafe or unstable housing to avoid rough sleeping.

This group is one of the fastest-growing cohorts facing housing insecurity. Many women have spent years caring for others, often with interrupted employment, limited savings, and little superannuation, leaving them especially vulnerable as living costs rise. Experiences of family violence, ill health, or relationship breakdown can quickly push women into crisis, often later in life when recovery is most difficult.