Dan Minchin (left) and Louise Forster (right)

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As people age, how does the danger of becoming homeless increase? 

Andrew received an eviction notice. He is 84. His friend Karen contacted Chorus and Frances from Chorus went out to see Andrew. She was concerned and also surprised at what she found.

Andrew’s Story

 Andrew wasn’t able to keep up with the maintenance of his property and the living situation had become unsafe and highly unsuitable for his needs. 

“I just think the house needed to be knocked down to be honest.” – Frances Sheehan.

Andrew was also facing eviction. He and his caregiver Karen were under pressure to find a solution.

Moving to a New Home

“I think people assume homelessness often is people living on the streets, and that’s really just the tip of the iceberg,” says Lou Forster. “I think the definition of homelessness is an unstable environment or insecure tenure where you don’t know where your next place will be. Sleeping on couches or your car… A lot of homelessness is unseen, and particularly we don’t tend to see older people on the streets that much either.”

Andrew was able to move straight away into a new home that had been researched by Gloria and the Chorus team, allowing his transition to be as smooth as possible. 

“We got approval for him to move in that week, so going from total despair to [asking ourselves] what are we going to do, to a life changing moment for Andrew where by Friday he was moved in, and we never looked back.” – Karen

Older homeless people are less visible than other homeless people as they are less likely to be living on the street but increasingly some seniors are facing insecure housing.

“It’s stories like this that make me proud to work for  Chorus” – Dan Minchin

Find out more:

Support for older people facing homelessness

Credits

Podcast Hosts: Louise Forster & Dan Minchin

Opening Voiceover: Ryan Burke

Music: “Wattlebird” by Dylan Hatton Music

Interviewer: Judith Hatton

Story Editor/Producer: Judith Hatton

Executive Producer: Meaghan Ferries

Production: Matthew Clark 

 

Special Thanks To:

Gloria Sanchez

Frances Sheehan

Karen & Andrew

 

Thanks for Listening! 

If you find yourself inspired by these stories, head to our website and learn more about what we’re doing.

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