Standing Room only at the screening of Frances
The screening of Frances at Kiama Leagues Club on Thursday 7 August, held as part of Homelessness Week, drew a capacity crowd. The venue was packed with standing room only. You could hear the gasps from the audience as Frances’ story unfolded, revealing how quickly and quietly someone’s life can unravel into homelessness.
The event raised $1,670 in donations, which will go to SAHSSI for the provision of essentials to older women in the Kiama area who are fleeing abusive relationships or are at risk of homelessness for any reason.
The film and the inspiration
Bernie Hems from Kiama Community Radio interviewed lead actor Juliet Scrine and filmmaker Sharon Lewis
Sharon Lewis, the filmmaker, was inspired to create Frances after witnessing women sleeping in their cars in coastal areas of the Illawarra. The film’s central character, Frances, finds herself with no roof over her head and sleeping in her car with her beloved dog.
This resonated deeply with audience members, many of whom were previously unaware of how often homelessness is invisible. Women may be staying temporarily with friends or relatives, in crisis housing or in hostel accommodation. These situations rarely show up in rough sleeper counts.
The panel
The second panel brought the reality home.
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Lyn Bailey gave a heartfelt account of her housing insecurity following her divorce. She described feelings of shame and guilt, emotions that are not uncommon among older women who have worked hard for decades, lived in stable family homes and suddenly lose everything. Bernie Hems from Kiama Community Radio will be interviewing Lyn on Tuesday morning 19 August
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Yumi Lee, CEO of the Older Women’s Network NSW, explained that the principal cause of homelessness for older women is the lack of affordable rental properties, compounded by decades of declining investment in social housing by successive governments. She called for policy change at all levels of government and noted that current tax laws encourage investors to treat housing as a vehicle for wealth accumulation rather than a universal right.
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Penny Dordoy, CEO of SAHSSI, outlined the lack of crisis and transitional housing locally, the long waiting lists and the difficulty older women face accessing services. Bernie Hems from Kiama Community Radio will be interviewing Penny Tuesday morning 26 August
What we do not know
An audience member asked if we know how many homeless women there are in the Kiama area. The answer is no. This lack of data is a big reason why there are limited women’s homelessness services in the LGA. For example, there is no women’s refuge in Kiama.
Local collaboration
South Illawarra Older Women’s Network, Kiama Community Radio (KCR) and SAHSSI want to better understand the scale of the problem. They are inviting people to join a local initiative to amplify the voices of older women facing housing insecurity. Real stories are being collected from women in our community, and anyone with a story or who can help someone share theirs is encouraged to contact southillawarra@ownnsw.org.au.
This work is part of a collective effort under the banner of Secure Housing for Older Women (SHOW), a group of community organisations, not-for-profits and concerned residents. SHOW’s achievements so far include working with Council to create a homelessness services information page on the Kiama Council website: Kiama Council – Homelessness.
A church-based charity, Homestead of Hope, also operates locally. It relies on parishioner donations to pay for food, clothing and emergency accommodation for those in need: Homestead of Hope.
What is next
This event and discussion mark the beginning of a series of blogs that I will be writing to raise awareness, highlight local realities and recommend practical actions to address homelessness in Kiama.
We all have a role to play in ensuring that no one in Kiama is left without a safe place to call home.
#Kiama #KiamaCommunity #HiddenHomelessness #OlderWomenAtRisk #HousingCrisis #SocialHousing #AffordableHousing #SecureHousing #NoOneLeftBehind #CommunityAction
