40 years ago, Helen, now aged 79, “had it all” – a husband, three children, a nice house with a pool and many friends.
Today, she would not have a roof over her head but for the generosity of the for-purpose Victorian Catholic organisation VMCH.
Helen has revealed her story as part of Homelessness Week 1-7 August, which is aiming to put the spotlight on the 116,000 Australians experiencing homelessness on any given night.
Back in the eighties, the stay-at-home mum found herself divorced and homeless. She and their three children moved in with her mother with not a cent to their name.
“The whole experience was life-changing,” she said.
She found employment and was promoted; however, when her parents died, all she could afford was a small unit with the money they’d left her. When her son started his own business years later, he bought her a beautiful home, but she was forced to sell when his business went under. Helen then moved in with her daughter, where she stayed for 10 years until she knew she had to leave.
Today, Helen is one of 436 people aged over 55 living in VMCH’s 21 affordable homes communities.
“I didn’t think they’d take me; I didn’t have anything to give,” she said. “But they accepted me anyway and now here I am, I love it. When I first came, I asked if I could put anything up on the walls – I was told ‘of course, it’s your forever home, do what you like’.”
Helen is among the fastest growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness – women aged over 55 – and this is reflected in the demand for VMCH’s affordable homes, where around 90 per cent of residents are female.
VMCH CEO Sonya Smart (pictured) says providing affordable homes is part of the organisation’s 
mission to support the most vulnerable people in the community.
“All people, and especially older people, deserve to live in comfort with security and with dignity,” she said.
VMCH is a supporter of the Everybody’s Home campaign, which calls for an additional 500,000 social and affordable homes to be built by 2026.
Let’s hope it achieves its goal.
