More people over the age of 55 are becoming homeless in Australia, according to new data.

More than 24,100 people in that age bracket across the country needed help from government homeless services, increasing from about 17,000.

Wayside Chapel CEO Jon Owen tells Steve Price the number of homeless women is also on the rise.

“We’re getting more people between the ages of 55 and 65 in our Kings Cross and Bondi Beach centres.

“Women have often invested two or three decades of them lives into raising family without having necessarily invested in academic qualifications.

“When issues like a family breakdown or domestic violence it takes often vulnerable women and places them in an increased risk of falling into homelessness.”

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Image: Getty/Michael Heim/EyeEm