Lynne enjoys her solitude at home. (Photo: Julie Nance)
Story by Julie Nance
The Homes for Older Women (HOW) program is a successful community-based solution to the national housing crisis. Since launching in May last year, the Blue Mountains not-for-profit has secured accommodation for 47 older women facing housing insecurity and homelessness.
Writer Julie Nance helped set up the program as a volunteer and recently finished a challenging but rewarding year as Program Manager. She shares the experiences of women involved with, and impacted by, the grass-roots initiative.
Key Points:
Research shows older women are now the fastest-growing group to experience homelessness in Australia. 66% of homeless people in the Blue Mountains in 2021-22 were women. This is higher than the national figure.
Older women are at greater risk of housing insecurity due to factors including relationship separation, death of a partner and retirement. Women often have significantly lower superannuation balances and savings than men.
The Homes for Older Women program collaborates with local homeowners, volunteers, community organisations, businesses and three levels of government to help combat the housing crisis.
As Lynne sits crocheting on her back deck overlooking the bush, memories of loss and homelessness don’t bite as powerfully as they used to.
The 72-year-old once ran a successful small business in the mid-Mountains and is a proud mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. After Lynne’s partner of 18 years passed away, her life took a series of negative turns.
She was given notice to leave her rental property and struggled to secure accommodation on one income. After couch surfing with family for a few months, she suffered a mini stroke.
“It was traumatic losing my partner – we had a lot of plans,” Lynne says. “I was homeless, unwell and very stressed about the future.”
The HOW program connects women aged 55+ facing housing insecurity and homelessness with compassionate homeowners who have vacant rental accommodation – granny flats, studios, houses, apartments or spare bedrooms. Run by Older Women’s Network (OWN) Blue Mountains, the free service is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers including those fielding calls and emails daily from distraught older women needing help.
Many, like Lynne, have brought up families and had successful careers. A high percentage of home seekers are on aged or disability pensions but some are still working full-time or part-time. They simply can’t afford the ridiculously high rents or compete against rental applicants with double incomes.
It was confronting to face the reality that in our beautiful Blue Mountains community my own peers – women in their 50s and alarmingly as old as 80 – are sleeping in their cars or vans, couch surfing or pet sitting, often for years. Some have escaped domestic violence or are facing mental or physical health challenges, exacerbated by their living conditions.
Despite the stories of hardship and despair, there was a strong undercurrent of resilience and courage. One of the biggest rewards was seeing the transformation in women once they had secured a home.
For Lynne, moving into a two-bedroom, furnished granny flat in the upper Mountains allowed her to regain her independence and enjoy her hobbies again.
“HOW has given me an anchor and the security I need,” Lynne says. “It was the answer to my prayers. My landlord is the best I’ve ever had.”
After couch surfing, Lynne enjoys her own kitchen. (Photo: Julie Nance)
The origins of HOW
In early 2023 Bronwen Johnston, a member (now Chair) of OWN Blue Mountains, came up with the idea to utilise existing accommodation to support older women facing housing insecurity. The concept was embraced by the local membership and OWN NSW. Bronwen formed a volunteer team with fellow members Heather Shepherd and Kerry Chater. Vent Thomas, a local IT expert, joined the team and after Kerry left her position, I was invited to come on board.
We worked hard for many months to get ready for launch. In March last year I secured the role of Program Manager, with a Mercy Foundation grant funding two days of my full-time workload. The dedicated volunteer team continued to grow.
I was saddened to spot a handwritten note pinned on a noticeboard outside a lower Mountains supermarket from a 90-year-old seeking accommodation. We knew we wouldn’t be short of vulnerable older women requiring our services, but we had no idea if homeowners would come to the party once we launched our expression of interest process in late May.
The note that made my heart sink. (Photo: Julie Nance)
We needn’t have worried. The response from the community was swift and overwhelming. Within 10 months the program had housed 47 women in a wide range of accommodation including studios, granny flats and share houses. We even found a property for a tiny home!
HOW has attracted a growing number of supporters in addition to OWN NSW including Scenic World, ActiveCampaign, Catholic Care, Blue Mountains Computers and Bendigo Bank. In December last year Homes NSW (Homelessness Innovation Fund) became a program partner which boosted resources and allowed the employment of part-time Program Officer Michelle.
Fundraising and donations are still required to address the high volume of women needing accommodation and wrap-around support. The number of women on the books often swells to more than 70, with a constant shortage of self-contained accommodation.
HOW volunteer Sandy Croker, a social worker, was one of the first volunteers to come on board, donating one day per week to support intake calls from home seekers and homeowners.
“I love the uniqueness of the program, the women’s stories and how the program reaches out to the community,” Sandy says. “Homelessness affects everybody.”
Former HOW Program Manager Julie (in white) with intake volunteers (L-R) Coralie, Sandy, Carol, Program Officer Michelle and Kathryn. (Photo supplied)
Collaborating with the experts
From its inception, HOW has gained valuable support from an Advisory Committee including representatives from Blue Mountains Health and Resource Centre (BMHRC), Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC), Mountains Community Resource Network (MCRN), Link Wentworth and Zonta Club Blue Mountains.
Kris Newton, MCRN Executive Officer, says HOW demonstrates the strength of place-based, locally-run initiatives that are “agile, flexible and able to act swiftly”. She says they are not tied down by layers of bureaucracy, they know their local ‘patch’ and they are able to harness local community goodwill.
“HOW offers a template for how a community can craft effective local solutions, utilising local knowledge and local partnerships to deal with local issues,” Kris says.
Homeowners participating in the program gain a financial return for renting out accommodation and also have the satisfaction of making a significant difference in the lives of older women.
Wendy Truelove spotted a HOW Facebook post soon after purchasing an investment property in Lithgow. The founder of Red Dot Animal Programs – a rehoming, education and desexing charity – was acutely aware of the challenge of finding pet-friendly rentals.
When HOW put forward a woman with an elderly dog, two cats and a bird, Wendy didn’t hesitate to consider her application and offered her the long-term rental.
“I am often contacted by people facing the heartbreaking decision of surrendering their pets to be able to secure a rental home,” Wendy says. “Renting my property with HOW means an older woman and her animals can stay together.”
Wendy, a HOW home provider and program supporter. (Photo supplied)
Red Dot has recently come on board as a HOW supporter, providing donations of pet food and other products.
“In a single income household, after paying rent, utilities and groceries there is often little left over,” Wendy says.
Saying goodbye
Late last month (March) I had to walk away from a program I’m passionate about so I could focus on my health. I learned so much from the women we supported and all the wonderful people offering help. This includes the importance of a stable home, connecting to community, self-care and hope.
I received an email before I left which reinforced the importance of HOW:
“I want to thank you and everyone working in this program so much for giving me hope at a very dark time. Having people who listened to me with compassion and understanding meant more than I can tell you, and I hope you know how much what you do matters.”
Take Action:
If you have a vacant studio, granny flat, home, apartment or spare bedroom, get in touch with new HOW Program Manager Katherine Starr for an obligation-free chat: 0493 965 190; [email protected]; or visit how.ownnsw.org.au
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair is just days away - happening this Saturday at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba.
We are excited to be joined by local, state-wide and national organisations as this weekend`s event. You`ll be able to learn from and interact with our vendors, as well as taste and purchase locally made goods.
Entry to the Fair and Markets is free but please do register in advance via the website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
2026 Stallholders and Vendors: - Alchemy Farms - BMCC Bushcare team - BMCC Waste Team - Chey`s Flowers - Cool Seats / Sustainable House - Diego Bonetto - Eats Really Yummy - Fidelity Coffee - Fifi`s Bees - Good Fat Pastry - Kokomo Island Cafe - Permaculture Hawkesbury Valley - Permaculture Matters - Plant Inspired and Associates - Theory Produce - Waste Free Produce - Wildplant Rescue - WIRES - You Are The Plant...
We are just one week away from Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair, taking place next Saturday, 10th October, at the Planetary Health Centre.
Whether you are interested in understanding the global food system, at-home food security, community resilience or local produce, we have talks, workshops, activities and stallholders for all.
View the full program and register your place via the website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
We have limited spots remaining so don`t miss out!...
We are counting down the days to Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair. Join us, and key speakers, educators and organisations at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba to explore one of the most important challenges of our time: how we grow, share and sustain food in a way that supports the health of ourselves, our communities and our planet. View the full program and reserve your space via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair...
Thank you to our food vendors catering Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026! 🌱
🍚 @eatsreallyyummy Eats Really Yummy is a food truck serving delicious Taiwanese-inspired fusion cuisine, bringing bold flavours and creative dishes to the Blue Mountains. Join them at Plate to Planet for a taste of their delicious street-food-style offerings while celebrating the diversity, creativity and community of our local food scene.
🌴 @kokomoislandcafe Based in Wentworth Falls, Kokomo Island Café is a female-owned food trailer bringing vibrant Caribbean flavours to the Blue Mountains. For the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026, we’ll be serving a delicious menu of vegetarian snacks and dishes made with locally grown Blue Mountains produce, celebrating the region’s incredible growers. Join us for nourishing food, bold flavours, and a day dedicated to community, sustainability, and the remarkable food being grown in our region.
☕ @fidelity.coffee Fidelity curates a rotating selection of exceptional coffees from leading Australian and international roasters. From rare single-origins to innovative processing methods, every coffee is chosen for its unique character and outstanding quality.
🥐 @goodfatpastry Good Fat Pastry creates scrumptious plant based pastries for your enjoyment and donates proceeds to people in need. Do yourself good by eating tasty things. Do others good by supporting their needs.
To view the full program and register your place, visit the event website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair...
We’re excited to launch the 2026 program and website for PREPARE: Disaster Risk Awareness Expo, hosted by Blue Mountains Planetary Health.
Key event information: 📆Date: Saturday 7 November 🕙Time: 10am - 4pm 🌏Venue: Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba 🪙Cost: Entry free, some sessions ticketed. Registration essential.
Visit the website and register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/host/blue-mountains-planetary-health
Following the success of last year’s event, this year’s Expo will once again bring together the community, emergency services, researchers, local organisations and experts to share practical knowledge and explore how we can better prepare for disasters and build safer, healthier and more resilient communities.
The 2026 program includes a range of interactive workshops, talks and activities, including:
- iFire / UNSW - iFire Immersive Bushfire Simulation - Australian Red Cross - EmergencyRedi workshop - Resilient Blue Mountains - Climate Fresk - Blue Mountains City Council - Hidden hazards before a disaster - WIRES - caring for wildlife during disasters - Blue Mountains City Council - response and recovery after the 2019 / 2020 Black Summer Bushfires
Key emergency services – NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service and Fire and Rescue will also be on site with vehicles, displays and activities.
Rapid Relief Australia will be providing free food and refreshments throughout the day.
Visit the website and register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/host/blue-mountains-planetary-health
We’re looking forward to seeing you and your families there!...
Looking for a fun, educational and sustainable day out these school holidays?
Come along to Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair in Katoomba on Saturday 10 October, with a line-up of free talks, activities and entertainment for all ages!
🌿 The Importance of Bioregions in Uncertain Times Join permaculture pioneer Rowe Morrow to explore how our land, water, food, energy and communities are connected - and how we can build a more resilient Blue Mountains.
🌱 Discover Old Man Saltbush Get up close to this remarkable native plant with Anne Elliot, and discover its potential as part of a more diverse and resilient food system.
🪱 Have a go at worm farming Learn how easy it can be to turn food scraps into valuable nutrients for your garden - with a hands-on worm farm activity from BMCC.
🎶 Enjoy live music Take a break, relax and soak up the atmosphere while enjoying live music by Olivia Dustmann throughout the day.
🎨 Kids` Corner - all day! Rock painting, crafts and story time, with plenty of fruit and veggie-inspired fun for younger visitors.
Explore local stalls, food, gardens, wildlife, sustainability and practical ideas for creating a more resilient food future.
Entry to the Fair and markets is free, with a range of free and paid sessions and workshops available throughout the day. Some sessions have limited capacity, so registration is recommended.
View the full program and register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
📅 Saturday 10 October | 9am–4pm 📍 Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba...
Join Andris Heks, Yogic Psychotherapist, winner Best Actor, Blue Mountains, for his workshop to laugh as you never laughed before, as part of a movement to globalise people-bonding cheerfulness through kookaburra laughter contagion as an antidote to distressing world divisiveness.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop
View the trailer and the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/globalise-unconditional-love-through-kookaburra-laughter
Key event information: - When? 10:15AM - 2:30PM, Sunday 4 October 2026 (1st day of Daylight Saving - 1 hour forward) - Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, 33-39 Acacia St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780 - Fee? $60 or what you can afford - Note: please bring your own lunch
What to expect: - Learn how to stay cheerful for good - Learning the funny, human emulated, communal kookaburra laughter and meditation - How communal kookaburra laughter promotes bonding even amongst strangers - The awesome native treasure of the laughing kookaburra phenomenon - Why Kookaburra Yoga is the ‘most excellent of Yogas` - How communal kookaburra laughter contagion boosts the subtle and gross national product - How you could contribute to the kookaburra laughter contagion
This event is supported by Blue Mountains Planetary Health.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop...
Come along to the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday for the next Skill Share Saturdays event!
This weekend`s agenda:
8:30AM - 10AM | Learn how to use your sewing machine class with Sherlie McMillan
8:30AM | Planetary Health Cafe open, serving Good Fat Pastry and Whisk and Pin
9AM - 10AM | Tai Chi and Qigong class with Virginia Field
10AM - 12PM | Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountain permaculture workshop with Leni from Alchemy Farms
10AM - 3PM | Fashion Upcycling Workshop with Sherlie McMillan
10:30AM - 12PM | Learn to make focaccia from scratch with Laura Zucchetti (no experience needed)
1:30PM - 4:30PM | Planetary Health Bushcare with Karen Hising
For more information and to purchase a ticket, please visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
📣HEADLINE SPEAKER📣
Our headline speaker is Julian Cribb AM – a renowned Australian science writer, journalist and author who has spent more than 50 years communicating science, agriculture, climate and global sustainability issues. He is the author of several influential books, including The Coming Famine (2010), Food or War (2019) and How to Fix a Broken Planet (2023), which explore the future of food systems, planetary health and humanity`s long-term survival.
He is widely recognised as one of Australia`s leading voices on global food security and sustainable development.
To register for his talk, and view the rest of the program, visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair...
At our next Skill Share Saturdays event on Saturday 5th September, join Laura Zucchetti at 10:30am to learn how to make focaccia from scratch!
Come along for a 90 min class where you`ll mix, rest and stretch your own focaccia dough from start to finish, guided every step of the way. You’ll take home your dough to bake on the day in your own oven.
Sign up to this session, and view the other offerings on the day via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
We are pleased to announce that the program and registration for Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026 is now live!
Follow this link to view the program and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
Key information:
When? Saturday 10 October, 9AM - 4PM
Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba
Who is it for? Families, gardeners, enthusiasts, community groups and businesses, anyone looking to learn about how to be more resilient through local and sustainable food systems.
What to expect? Talks, workshops, demos, market stalls, family activities, music, food
Is there a cost? Entry to the Fair and Markets is free. Talks and workshops are ticketed (both free and paid) and have limited capacity, so please register in advance.
Program highlights:
🌏Headline talk: The age of renewable Food – Julian Cribb AM 🎋Wild edibles foraging workshops – Diego Bonetto, Eat More Weeds 🏞️The importance of bioregions in uncertain times – Rowe Morrow, Permaculture Matters 🥒Home canning and food preservation workshop – Kirsty Berté, Permaculture Hawkesbury Valley 🏡Designing your own Permaculture Property – Leni Nyssen, Alchemy Farms 🍃Utilising what’s in front of you – Uncle Lex, The Ganya Shed 🪱How to worm farm - BMCC 🎸Live music by Olivia Dustmann 🌾Community crop and seed swap
Tickets are limited so please register your place now: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
We are also seeking stallholders for the event. If you are a grower, retailer, community organisation or business that would like to get involved, please reach out to [email protected]!...
Katoomba Area Local News is part of the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative, a collaboration to reduce the risk of future disasters by expanding local communications – from the Lower Mountains to Lithgow.
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“Every body can help the planet” is the tagline of Earthly Remains, a not-for-profit organisation set up to advocate for human composting as a more sustainable death care option in Australia.
