Older women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and financial insecurity. They are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
According to the 2024 position paper by the Department of Community and Justice (DCJ) on Homelessness and Housing Stress, the proportion of women experiencing these impacts has increased by 31 per cent since 2011.
But our region didn’t need this reported back as data. They have lived experience of the housing crisis. It is that experience that became the catalyst for The S.H.I.F.T. Project to drive meaningful change in our community.
The S.H.I.F.T. Project Byron is an independent, registered charity dedicated to empowering women on their journey from homelessness to independence. They provide comprehensive support that fosters lasting stability and helps women rebuild meaningful connections within their community. They receive no government funding and have operated debt-free for 11 years.
Disruption
The vision of the S.H.I.F.T. Project is to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by intervening early and empowering women before crisis becomes chronic.
They offer sustainable, meaningful change for women and children facing, or at risk, of homelessness, rebuilding lives after domestic violence (DV) or future-proofing their lives by creating career pathways and possibilities on the journey from welfare to wellbeing.
They deliver tailored support and education in a safe, residential setting where at-risk women can thrive.
Creating change
The S.H.I.F.T. Project is a unique model, grown in the Byron Shire in response to the need that exists here.
After three decades in the sector, founder Anne Goslett knew what wasn’t working: a broad-scale approach that kept women trapped in crisis cycles, returning to the system again and again with escalating, unaddressed barriers to safety, autonomy, and well-being. She believed change was possible. Together with co-founder Julie Wells, she asked a simple but ‘radical’ question:
‘What if we invested deeply in each woman’s journey, creating sustained transformation through intensive relationship-based support rather than temporary interventions?’
That question became the cornerstone of the S.H.I.F.T. Project. This relationship-based approach delivers proven results with more than a 90 per cent success rate.
Women secure employment and stable housing, with half transitioning off welfare payments completely. They reconnect with family and community while gaining the skills and resources to navigate the housing landscape independently.
The impact of SHIFT speaks volumes; $5 million in operational funding has delivered $11.7 million in community benefits over the past decade. They’ve employed over 60 women through Linen SHIFT, provided housing support to more than 100 women and children, and reached nearly 400 women and children through outreach programs.
Perhaps most telling, 88 per cent of graduates who maintain contact with the SHIFT Project – on their own terms – continue to share their ongoing successes, even five years later.
The S.H.I.F.T. Project runs residential well-being programs that combine safe, supported housing with practical employment opportunities. The social enterprises offer meaningful work to women in the program and extend these opportunities to women in the broader community.
This isn’t crisis intervention – it’s the deliberate, personalised accompaniment that transforms a moment of safety into a lasting new future. Because leaving crisis is only the first step, SHIFT ensures women and children have what they need to stay out of it, reclaim their agency, and build lives defined by choice rather than fear.
I Will Survive
To find out more or become a donor go to shiftproject.org.au. Their upcoming event Small SHIFT ‘I Will Survive’ features 7 X 7 min stories by seven women from seven different decades from women in their 20’s to their 80’s, celebrating resilience and triumph in the face of adversity.
The show is on 21 July at Byron Services Club at 7pm. This fundraising event aligns with the SHIFT ethos and continues to create a powerful, connected community.
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