Uncovering the hidden face of homelessness

A new documentary tells the stories of the fastest growing demographic of homelessness in Australia.

Australians are well aware of the affordable housing crisis their nation is facing, an experience exacerbated by the ongoing impact of the pandemic and current economic climate, but what may come as a shock is the demographic most at risk of homelessness.

Older women are the fastest growing cohort of the approximately 116,000 homeless people in the country, with over 400,000 women aged 45 years or older at risk. Many find refuge away from the streets by living in their cars, garages or other temporary accommodation for safety concerns, giving rise to the label – the “hidden homeless”.

A new documentary aims to shed light on this alarming issue and make visible the stories of ageing women facing housing stress. Filmed over two and a half years, Under Cover features ten Australian women over 50 years old, who through no fault of their own, cannot pay their rent or mortgage.

“I felt hidden, and I felt a little bit invisible even to some of my friends,” said Sarah-Jane in the documentary.

“You lose people because they can’t face you, you lose people because you don’t know what’s going on in their world. You lose people because they don’t wanna be you. They don’t wanna look at you, they don’t want you as their mirror.”

Narrated by Margot Robbie, the documentary lays bare the intersection of sexism, ageism and poverty. It follows women of diverse cultural backgrounds and economic and educational status, many of whom never thought they would become homeless until they were impacted by domestic violence, divorce, illness and disability, death, the loss of stable income and COVID-19. 

The documentary also covers a range of experiences of homelessness, with women couch surfing and living in their cars, vans, hostels, temporary accommodation and social housing.

Older women are at greater risk of financial and housing insecurity due to systemic gendered issues including working part-time or casually throughout their lives, the gender pay gap, bearing caring responsibilities, having limited superannuation, age discrimination and restrictive gender norms.

Sue Thomson, who wrote, directed and produced the documentary, resonated with similarities in her own life, as a woman over the age of 50 with little superannuation and accumulated debt.

“I made Under Cover because I was shocked and horrified when I heard about the extraordinary number of women over 50 struggling to survive and often ending up unable to pay their rent or mortgage,” she told Pro Bono News.

“How is it that the women who have often been the carers, the workers in roles like child care, aged care, nurses, hospitality in our community are now ending up unable to survive independently? 

“Australia is one of the richest countries in the world but somehow we have this growing proportion of older women being overlooked and disenfranchised in our society. For me, it was an obvious choice to make a film about something very close to my heart. I am a woman, a mother and a daughter with an ageing mother.

“The reason I make films like Under Cover is to wrestle the gaze of audiences towards issues that affect the community they live in and hopefully make people want to be part of a change. It’s idealistic but hopeful and the women in this film are inspirational.”

The philanthropy-backed documentary received funding from non-profits including the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Premiere Fund and Documentary Australia, as well as key sector organisations such as Street Smart, Housing All Australians and Rotary.

It is also running a social impact campaign to stimulate public conversations about housing and homelessness, which involves community screenings and providing connections to support services.

The campaign aims to send a clear message to the government to meaningfully address the provision of social and affordable housing and offers resources for the public to write about the issue to federal ministers and candidates.

“Australia has a history of ensuring low income housing demand was met by supply from the federal government,” added Thomson.

“Since 1996 when responsibility for the supply of low income housing was handed to the revenue constrained states and private sector, supply has failed to keep up with demand. So, the safety net that many of these women would have had in previous years is no longer there.

“It’s a matter of priorities and what sort of Australia we are prepared to live in.”

Under Cover is available for community organisations and education groups to screen throughout 2023.