Facing homelessness after losing their long term rental, Gloria and Lindsay found safety and support through Social Futures’ Supported Temporary Accommodation in the Tweed region of NSW. With wrap around support and advocacy, the couple secured accessible social housing in the community they call home.
When Gloria and Lindsay lost their long-term rental home in February 2025, the couple suddenly found themselves homeless and facing an uncertain future at 83 and 79 years of age.
“The landlord gave us notice to get out, and we had nowhere to go,” Gloria explained. “I was more worried about Lindsay than myself because he’s in a wheelchair.”
“You can’t just move into any place when you’re in a wheelchair,” Gloria added. “Lindsay needs an accessible shower, no steps, and wider doorways.”
They had lived in the Tweed for 35 years, close to their medical specialists and support networks. Having had three heart attacks Lindsay lives with significant health challenges and now has a pacemaker implant.
The constant worry about finding accessible long-term accommodation in a housing crisis and soaring cost of living environment kept the couple awake at night.
Forced to stay in a motel for a few days, Gloria recalls, “I was down in the dumps really bad.”
“I see people on the street, and I thought oh god that’s where we’re going to end up. I told Lindsay we could buy a tent and live on the street.”
But that’s when a new option opened up. Social Futures, through its Supported Temporary Accommodation hub in Tweed Heads South, offered the couple a safe place to stay, and vital support during a challenging transition.
“When I saw the room, I said, ‘Oh my god, it’s bigger than the motel!’” Gloria said. “There’s a stove, a fridge, a dishwasher, even a washing machine and dryer.”
The NSW Government announced their purchase of the site in July this year – securing its future as temporary accommodation support for those who desperately need it. It was a move that brought Gloria and Lindsay hope.
“We’re both on the pension. We can’t afford to rent places that cost $900 a week and that sort of thing.”
“I think there should be more places you can go (houses), because there’s a lot of homeless people and they need shelter, like we do. I feel sorry for the ones living out on the street.”
The couple met regularly with their Social Futures program worker, Frances. Based on site as part of a team of specialist homelessness service providers who connect residents with wrap-around supports, Frances helped Gloria and Lindsay with their search for suitable long-term housing, and with everyday things that make independent living possible.
Frances also supported them to update their medical assessments and advocate for the right aged care support, ensuring Gloria and Lindsay were not left behind in a complex system.
“Frances is excellent, she helped us with all the forms and paperwork. We had no complaints, we were just glad to be there,” Gloria reflected.
The couple say they felt supported and grateful to be living in a place where they felt safe, and where their needs were recognised.
After five months in temporary accommodation, Gloria opened the letter that changed their lives.
“When I got the letter from the housing commission, I took it downstairs to see Frances and said, ‘We’ve got a place!’”.
“I couldn’t believe it at first.”
Gloria and Lindsay were placed in social housing, in the same community they have loved for more than three decades. Upon moving in, they learned their new neighbour was a friend they have both known for 15 years.
Moving house is no small feat for anyone at the best of times. Social Futures offered a helping hand by arranging and paying for a removalist through brokerage, easing the mental and financial stress that comes with relocating a lifetime of belongings.
Lindsay now enjoys the small gardens surrounding their accessible two-bedroom ground floor unit. With easy wheelchair access he spends time outside watering the plants and taking his electric mobility scooter out to the shops every Sunday to collect the weekend papers.
Busy getting settled and unpacking in the weeks before Christmas, Gloria recalled sighing a huge sigh of relief when they first saw their new, permanent home, saying to Lindsay “Oh, we are definitely one of the lucky ones!”
