Our Purpose

Tangentes Hom is more than an online retail experience - it is a Social Enterprise; a vehicle to create a lifeline for women that society has forgotten.

Behind each statistic is a human story: a woman who dedicated decades to caring for her family, only to find herself divorced, or widowed, and starting over in her fifties. Despite her experience and wisdom, she faces a job market that overlooks her potential, leaving her with limited income and even fewer options for safe and affordable housing.

This is my story

I was once that woman. I had been married for 18 years, raising our twin sons full-time. When my marriage ended, I hadn't worked in 16 years despite holding a Bachelor of Design in Interior Architecture, Interior Design and Textile Design.

Finally free of the marriage and 60 job applications, I returned to work part-time and continued raising our sons on my own. Then I was made redundant. The family home was sold, the marriage concluded, but I didn't have enough funds to buy a house, and was denied a mortgage. My ex-husband was free of family and had no restrictions on obtaining a mortgage and buying a new home for himself.

I rented a house for myself and my sons and was lucky enough to secure a new job. The next house was near my son's school and my new job. At the end of the 12-month lease, it ended, and I had to move again.

I found a perfect house close to work and was now independent of my sons, even though the rent was 65% of my income. Six months into this rental, I got covid and pneumonia. I was given notice at the end of the 12-month rental period - again. Ongoing problems with both covid and pneumonia, I took medical retirement and haven't worked since. 

Homeless, without options, without an income and very sick, I put my effects into storage and moved to stay with friends.

What was once a stable life became a daily struggle for survival, marked by uncertainty and the constant search for temporary housing and meaning in my life.

Some months later, I moved again to begin 18 months of homelessness with ongoing sickness due to long covid. I house sat for people to mind their dogs. I had a caravan for the in-between, but continued to go from house to house, with my health declining. I was 54 and homeless without funds to rent or buy a home and care for my continually declining health.

We are not just identifying the problem — We are building the solution.

I moved back to my home town to start again, to be close to family and friends. Once again, I was homeless and very unwell. I moved into a motel and spent the next eight months there until I had to move out. A year on, in a warm and comfortable social home, I am slowly working out how to live after three years of sickness with two years of homelessness.

At Tangentes Hōm, we believe every woman deserves a home with dignity and security. A home that gives her hope for her future. 

Through your support, we are turning retail into real change

One purchase at a time

With every purchase you make, 10% is placed into a dedicated fund designed to build something transformative: a community of purpose-built apartments where these women can finally call home. Complete with a Business Centre, Social area, Learning space and a quiet room for on-site counselling.

These women don't just lack housing—they lack something even more fundamental: a sense of belonging. They have lost their place in the world, their community, and their identity as valued members of society.

Our vision is to create a purpose-built community. Where each woman will have her own private sanctuary—a complete apartment with bedroom, bathroom, living space, and dedicated work area. With her own space, social and educational supports, she can rebuild her life with dignity, enjoying personal privacy while being embraced by a supportive community.

This isn't just about providing shelter; it's about restoring what was lost—independence with connection, solitude with solidarity, a place where every woman can belong once again and gain their independence.

This vision is where business meets caring for a community of forgotten women