50+, exhausted, I have no "fight" left. No advice needed.

I’m a woman in my 50s, and writing this because I’ve reached the limit of my resilience. I am usually a very proactive, "glass-half-full" person, but after seven years of instability, I am simply worn out.

My divorce was in 2019, and I walked away with enough money to start over. I went travelling in late 2019 and early 2020 to find my feet and live a little, right before the world shut down for COVID. When I came back, the money I had hoped would secure my future was drained by the "limbo" of the housing market. Because private landlords wouldn't take me, even when I had a job and a lump sum to pay a year in advance. I spent a fortune on Airbnb’s while trying to find a permanent home. protected.

I’ve tried shared housing twice, and both ended up being unsafe, and I was forced to leave, wasting even more money. At my age, and dealing with PTSD and trauma, it is deeply unsuitable and simply not a safe option for my mental health. Over these last few years, I’ve given everything of myself. I spent what was left of my savings supporting two family members and even gave up work to do so. This was a traumatic time, which I will not go into. I’ve had jobs in between, but they all turned out to be toxic, bullying environments that I eventually couldn't tolerate anymore.

Last year, I decided to take a stand for my future and went to University to finally get the degree I’ve always wanted. But despite this, I am still sofa surfing. I have been fighting the authorities and the rental market for years, and they are useless. I’m not asking for much. A studio or even just a static caravan somewhere with some chickens and some peace. But finding that feels impossible.

I’m not looking for advice. I’ve done the research, made the calls, and been incredibly proactive. I am just... done. I have done everything I can to help myself, and the system has effectively blocked me at every turn. I am left with nothing, and I have no fight left in me to keep proving my worth to landlords and systems that do not care.

I just wanted to put this out there into the void. To anyone else in their 50s who feels invisible and exhausted by a system that wasn't built for us: I see you.