Empowerment through connection, dignity through purpose
Although women aged 55+ may never have been considered as ‘at risk’ before, they now constitute the largest cohort facing housing insecurity.
The dissolution of a marriage, onset of illness, the premature end of a career, and the departure of children from the home… these are all factors that often precede financial hardship and housing insecurity for women aged 55+.
Most of these women have never before experienced financial or housing insecurity. They are educated, hardworking women who have spent a lifetime caring for their children, partners and parents, while still contributing to the economies of their communities. Their situation renders them voiceless, invisible, and many find themselves ineligible for most/ all social services as they fall through the institutional cracks.
Women 50+ experience a 45% decline in their standard of living post-divorce
While overall divorce rates in the U.S. have fallen over the past 20 years, they have actually increased for older couples. Currently, almost 40% of those getting divorced are 50 or older. Since the 1990s, gray divorce has doubled, according to the Pew Research Center. For those over 65, the divorce rate has tripled. The financial implications are huge.
Women 50 and older, experience a 45% decline in their standard of living post-divorce, compared to 21% for men, a 2021 study from The Journals of Gerontology found.
Who are we?
Bhendi Women is a registered non-profit based in the United States. We represent 18,700 women globally, many of whom have unexpectedly found themselves confronting financial hardship and housing insecurity.
We are committed to facilitating access to a range of accommodation solutions such as:
Affordable Temporary Rental Accommodation: Utilizing low-occupancy hotel apartments and villas to create long-stay temporary housing with supportive pop-up communities.
Peer-to-Peer Mortgage Buy-outs: Connecting women of means with those in financial distress to keep property ownership viable.
Rent Roll: A registry of rooms for rent within our online community of older single women, offering short- or long-term affordable rentals.
Fractional Investment: Enabling women with limited savings to participate in cooperative property ownership, building equity and security.
Cohousing: Affordable independent living with shared social spaces.
Co-living Hamlets: Communities of small homes and tiny homes.