Australian charity launches co-housing for older women to combat homelessness

The charity Sharing with Friends launched Australia's first co-housing project in Darra, a suburb of Brisbane, to provide permanent housing for older women.

Five women moved into the development after paying a $120,000 investment and signing a 50-year lease. This model provides private studio units with kitchens and courtyards, along with shared communal spaces like a living room and a garden.

The project addresses a gap for women who earn too much to qualify for social housing but lack the funds to purchase property in a rising market. One resident, Ann Singh, moved into the development after struggling with financial instability following a divorce. Another resident, Robyn Duffy-Jones, joined the group after banks rejected her loan applications to buy a home. The charity selected this investment amount because it matched the average superannuation fund balance for women at retirement age.

Sharing with Friends plans to expand this model across Australia to help the fastest-growing group of homeless people in the country. The charity says it received no government assistance and relies on philanthropic donations and pro bono architectural work to fund the project. To replicate the success, the organisation wants local governments to update planning acts to recognize co-housing as a distinct category rather than a boarding house.

Residents pay for their own electricity and rates, and they receive their initial investment back with inflation adjustments when they leave or pass away.