Tablelands Community Housing CEO Cate Teece, who has worked in the sector for decades, says the housing crisis continues to be one of the biggest social issues for the region.
The organisation fields calls every week from people who find themselves homeless and she said it was “heartbreaking” not to be able to help them all.
Ms Teece said while there were homeless people sleeping rough around parks and waterways, it was the “hidden homelessness” that many people were not aware of.
“People couching surfing or living in overcrowded houses are the hidden homeless. Yes, there are some people living on the street but it’s not quite so in your face,” she said.
“A lot of them have lost their employment or some of them are at an age where they are not working anymore and they can’t get a job (over 50).
“A lot of women over 60 are living in their cars, with little dogs sometimes, and this can lead to poor health outcomes (from a lack of proper or personal hygiene) or because they are not eating properly.
“A couple of weeks ago, we had an 80-year-old woman come in and she had been living in a rental house for 22 years and they were selling the house and she had to leave.
“When you’re in your 80s, the prospect of having to move house is big enough, but having nowhere to move to is shocking.
“She will most likely have to stay with relatives, who did not live nearby, it can push them into situations where things like elder abuse might come into play, living in a car contributed to poor health outcomes.”