House-sitting, couch surfing keeping ‘almost homeless’ older woman off the streets

Brisbane mother of two Zoe* has not had stable housing for more than two years but she is not what you might imagine when you think of someone experiencing homelessness.

“I live where I can,” the 58-year-old told ABC Radio Brisbane.

“I keep a roof over my head by either house-sitting or couch surfing and staying with friends.”

When those options were not available, Zoe turned to a women’s homeless shelter where she lived for three months.

At another time, her health landed her in hospital.

“I’ve been house-sitting permanently for almost two years now,” she said.

On census night in 2016, there were an estimated 6,866 women over 50 who were homeless — the figure representing a 31 per cent increase since 2011.

House-sitting has taken Zoe…