OUR STORY

Need often drives innovation, and in the case of Founder Chantal Clarke and her friend Keela Arnst, that has certainly proven true. Their enterprise, ‘The Marigold Lifestyle’ leverages vacant hotel rooms to help address the Cost of Living Crisis and implementing targeted solutions to prevent mature-aged women from being driven into homelessness. Instead, The Marigold Lifestyle provides older women with the dignity and security they deserve in their later years.

OLDER SINGLE WOMEN: NAVIGATING HOUSING INSECURITY

In Australia, women aged over 50 face pronounced challenges with financial and housing stability, when compared to older men. Several interrelated factors contribute to this situation: 

- Historically, women in this age group did not benefit from compulsory superannuation early in their careers. They often earned lower wages than men, took breaks from paid work for caregiving responsibilities, and faced gender-based wage disparities.

- The basic wage for women in 1950 was only 75% of that for men.

- Many women aged over 70 were compelled to leave paid employment upon marriage, while others over 60 faced similar pressures upon pregnancy.

- Housing affordability is a significant concern for those without property ownership and living on low incomes, such as recipients of Centrelink benefits. The National Rental Affordability Index reveals a deeply unaffordable private rental market for single aged pensioners and Newstart recipients, exacerbated by declining social housing availability and rising housing costs.

HOMELESSNESS: A NEW REALITY FOR OLDER WOMEN

Older single women constitute the fastest-growing demographic experiencing housing stress and homelessness. Surprisingly, many of these women have never before experienced homelessness, as highlighted in a report by Drs. Maree Petersen and Cameron Parsell from the University of Queensland. The number of older women experiencing homelessness increased by 31% between 2011 and 2016, reflecting a concerning trend.

Older women often resort to temporary accommodations with friends or family rather than sleeping rough, which presents unique challenges in identifying and addressing their housing needs. Despite their vulnerability, older women frequently face barriers to accessing priority social housing due to low incomes rather than complex needs, further marginalizing them in housing markets and services.

ADDRESSING THE CRISIS

Every individual deserves the security of a safe and stable home, especially as they age. It is deeply troubling that many older women are currently confronted with the looming threat of homelessness and housing instability.

In 2016, the Australian Census revealed a disturbing trend: older women emerged as the fastest-growing demographic experiencing homelessness in the country. The number of women over 55 facing homelessness surged by 31% compared to 2011. Shockingly, the 2021 Census reported a further 6.6% increase. These statistics are alarming, reflecting a broader increase of 5.2% in the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Research underscores that many women experiencing homelessness have never encountered such circumstances before. They could be your sister, aunt, mother, or grandmother. Often, these women resort to moving between accommodations with family, friends, or even sleeping in their cars to avoid sleeping rough.

Why are women over 55 at such high risk of homelessness?

The reasons are manifold, including a lack of superannuation, intermittent employment, caregiving responsibilities, gender pay disparities, an increasingly unaffordable rental market, and age discrimination. Many of these women have faced lifelong financial discrimination, following marriage or pregnancy, then divorce, resulting in professional barriers and issues in accessing mortgages. Life events such as the death of a spouse, illness, divorce, or eviction often precipitate homelessness, particularly for those living on fixed, single-incomes without property ownership.

The Cost of Living Crisis

Homelessness is not a choice; rather, it's a consequence of systemic failures. Persistent low vacancy rates in the private rental market exacerbate the situation, particularly for single parents and those on low incomes.

Particularly worrying statistic is the doubling of older women in the private rental market from 90,000 in 2006 to over 180,000 in 2016, indicating a looming crisis. A report released by HAAG and Social Ventures Australia in August 2020 estimated a staggering 405,000 older women at risk of homelessness in Australia, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

The shortage of affordable housing options and limited focus on social housing alternatives further compound the problem. Addressing rental affordability is imperative, as evidenced by Anglicare's Rental Affordability Snapshot, which found that a mere 0.5% of rental properties were affordable for single pensioners.

Sourcing affordable accommodations

The solution lies in providing older women with affordable, suitable, safe housing, which is vital for their health and well-being as they age. The Marigold Lifestyle leverages existing accommodation assets within the tourism industry, to provide heavily discounted accommodations for older women, and a sense of instant community through ‘pop-up villages’.

The Marigold Lifestyle provides women with a sense of dignity and purpose, focusing on community connections, learning and fun to improve mental wellbeing while supporting local economies in countries where economies are less robust.

Small beginnings

In May 2023, dual national New Zealander-Australian Chantal Clarke suddenly found herself homeless. Despite holding a Masters in climate change and having a successful career, she faced a post-pandemic rental increase from $560/ week to $1000/ week, her employment contract with local government had come to an end, and both children flew the coop. Having been a sole parent for most of the children’s upbringing, she had very little savings despite having worked since the age of 16. She was too young to access her Superannuation, too old to get a mortgage, and her mental and physical health were rapidly deteriorating due to the stress and shame of her predicament.

She sold everything she owned, placed sentimental keepsakes into storage, and purchased a one-way ticket to Thailand. It took her three crushing months of ‘tumbleweeding’ where the wind blew her, before finally locating a potentially suitable place to grow new roots. That place however was a wellness resort in the small coastal town of Krabi. She negotiated a long-stay rate of USD620/ month to live in an air-conditioned 1-bedroom pool villa, with private bathroom, living room, and kitchen.

Marigold Hotels

Pretty soon, Chantal’s story had gone viral on Facebook and within 6 months, she’d gathered over 16,000 followers who all had similar stories. They formed a group and then a movement, which resulted in Chantal and her Kiwi fried Keela travelling across Asia and then Europe, in search of similar hotels that would give women in their group heavily discounted long-stay rates in low and shoulder seasons.

A win-win for hoteliers who had traditionally struggled with seasonal occupancy, the first of their "‘Marigold Concept Hotels’ opened in Thailand in January 2024. Luang Prabang, Laos followed shortly after, with Siem Reap, Cambodia in April, and Ubud, Bali is scheduled to open in mid-October.

The group is currently crowd-funding Chantal and Keela to locate additional properties to add to a growing portfolio, with Athens, Greece in their sights, followed by the Algarve, Portugal, then Croatia, Albania, Italy and Morocco. In 2025, Central and South America will be considered.

The Marigold Lifestyle

‘It’s not a conventional way of living, but it sure beats the hamster wheel or waiting by the phone for the kids to call,’ comments Chantal ‘and I have to admit travel is a much more affordable option than remaining at the mercy of the Cost of Living Crisis in Australia.’

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