More women asking for help for homelessness and food in Geelong

More women are experiencing homelessness in the Geelong region with one local charity saying the number of females seeking support has doubled.

Lazarus Community Centre general manager Jade Hamilton (left), Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Deborah Di Natale and The Outpost vice chairwoman Amy Flint.

More women are battling homelessness in the Geelong region with one local charity saying the number of females asking for help has surged.

Homelessness charity The Outpost has seen a 50 per cent increase in women reaching out for help in the 2023-24 financial year, compared to 2022-23.

The service provides meals, clothing and hygiene products for those experiencing homelessness.

The Outpost vice chairwoman Amy Flint said women made up 20 per cent of those in the organisation’s community.

“(We’ve served) 346 meals to women alone in the past month,” she said.

Ms Flint said those over the age of 40 were the largest female group seeking support, followed by those aged between 26 and 39.

She said women were reaching out for help due to domestic violence, mental health challenges and, more recently, the “escalating” cost of living crisis.

“This includes an over-representation of older women struggling with food security,” Ms Flint said.

She said the organisation was seeing a pattern among women, who were attending the service for the first time, who would “give before they receive”.

“(They bring) in items of outgrown children’s clothing in exchange for meals, sanitary items, fresh fruit and vegetables,” Ms Flint said.

Lazarus Community Centre general manager Jade Hamilton said the organisation was also seeing an increase in women reaching out for help.

The centre provides support for people in Geelong experiencing homelessness or social isolation.

“We are seeing a lot of younger women coming through the doors, particularly those who are under the age of 25,” Ms Hamilton said.

“People used to think we were a men’s only service because we predominantly helped men but we are a 60-40 ratio of men to women now.

“We are also seeing an increase in women with children and women wanting to access food vouchers.”

More than 56,000 women and girls across Victoria went to homelessness services for support in 2022-23, according to Council to Homeless Persons (CHP).

Family violence was the main reason they sought help, followed by the housing crisis or eviction and financial difficulties.

CHP chief executive Deborah Di Natale said expensive rents and low vacancy rates were pushing more women towards homelessness.

“We know that women on average have lower incomes than men, and that can be a precursor to homelessness,” she said.

“Family violence is a huge driver of homelessness for women and girls.

“While these are factors for women of all ages, young adults are actually the group which experiences homelessness at higher rates than others.”

Ms Di Natale said there was a “desperate shortage” of social housing in Geelong.

“Statewide, the government must build at least 6000 new public and community dwellings each year for a decade,” she said.

Originally published as More women asking for help for homelessness and food in Geelong