Good Shepherd New Zealand’s research on the housing challenges of older women living alone brings together the voices and experiences of thirteen older women aged between 57 and 83 who are living with housing stress or on low incomes. Through in-depth interviews, they spoke about what secure housing means to them, the pressures they are navigating, and the support that helps them stay well.
For many of the women who took part, housing challenges are shaped not only by limited income, but by lifetime patterns of low pay, caregiving, disability, racism, migrant experiences and the long-term effects of trauma. These overlapping and intersecting factors influence how older women access and maintain housing and how they experience the systems around them.
A consistent message is that housing insecurity is not the result of poor choices or a lack of capability. It stems from system settings that have not kept pace with the realities of ageing alone and which leave older women without stable, suitable or affordable options to age alone on a low income. Rising living costs, inaccessible homes, unstable rentals and services that are confusing or slow to respond all contribute to the pressure women are under.
The insights shared here offer a clear picture of what secure housing looks like for older women, the barriers that get in the way, and the opportunities to support women to age in place with stability, dignity and connection.
Principles of housing security for older women
Across the interviews, women provided a clear picture of what a secure and nourishing home would look and feel like. These principles are grounded in lived experience and represent the foundations needed for older women to age well.
- Security of tenure and knowing they can remain in the home for as long as they choose. Stability enables older women to plan, recover from hardship, and age in place on their own terms.
- Living independently with dignity, safety and the freedom to organise life in ways that feel right for them.
- Feeling safe in the home and in the surrounding neighbourhood. Feeling safe becomes increasingly important with age and has a direct impact on health and wellbeing.
- A home that works for an ageing body. As mobility and health needs change, homes must be accessible and easy to navigate, helping to reduce stress, prevent injury, and enable women to remain independent for longer.
- Affordability that covers more than the rent or mortgage. Housing security means being able to afford not just rent or mortgage payments, but the costs of living: nutritious food, power, transport, healthcare and small emergencies.
- Close to transport and essential services. As driving becomes harder or more expensive, living near public transport and everyday services becomes essential.
- Staying connected to community, culture and whānau. Secure housing keeps women close to the people and places that anchor them. For migrant women, being near people who share their language or cultural background is especially important.
- Being able to keep a companion animal. Housing that allows pets can strongly influence emotional wellbeing and help prevent loneliness.
- Having support when it is needed. Having help with repairs, navigating services, sorting out paperwork or arranging home support makes it easier for women to stay in their homes.
- Being treated with respect and dignity in every interaction. Respectful, patient and non-judgmental interactions – whether with landlords, banks, support services or community organisations – help women feel confident seeking help and navigating challenges.
Support opportunities
While the findings describe the broader systems shaping older women’s housing insecurity, they also point to practical ways support can be provided. These opportunities build directly on what women said they needed – support that is dignifying, empowering and easy to access, delivered by someone they trust. They also recognise that financial and housing challenges are deeply intertwined and cannot be solved by a loan alone.
- A single, trusted relationship that reduces fragmentation: having one person such as a dedicated Housing Support Coach as the central point of contact, providing consistent, relational, warm navigation across financial, legal, housing and wellbeing needs.
- Financial pathways such as pension-friendly, no-interest loan products that work for the “missing middle” (ie, women who are not eligible for public support, yet unable to access private lending or legal services).
- Supporting women to stay safely in their homes for longer: enabling simple, early interventions and minor home modifications could prevent injury, improve health and help them age in place with dignity.
- Gentle support for transitions and housing instability. A small amount of support at the right moment, or the provision of micro-grants or no-interest loans for the immediate costs of relocation, could prevent crises and reduce the impact on their financial, physical and emotional wellbeing.
- Supporting essential living costs that determine women’s health. For older women, such supports would enable them to stay warm and eat well, helping to maintain their health, mobility and the ability to remain in their homes.
- Empowering women through dignity- and strength-based practice. Throughout the interviews, women were clear that support only works when it respects their autonomy and does not diminish their pride. An empowerment-first practice model would reinforce independence rather than dependency.
- Strengthening social connection without compromising independence. Opportunities to be alongside others, exchange skills and feel part of a community would allow women to stay connected and have a greater sense of belonging without requiring shared living.
- A broader role in shaping housing solutions for older women. Many of the challenges women described – insecure tenancies, short-term leases, unaffordable energy costs, unsafe placements and poorly maintained rentals – require shifts in how the rental market, public housing system and support services operate.
For more insights into the challenges and opportunities for support, download the full report at: https://goodshepherd.org.nz/publications/research-housing-challenges-of-older-women-living-alone/
Image credit: Good Shepherd NZ