Domestic and family violence related homelessness is a widespread and growing problem in Australia. However, establishing the true extent of domestic and family violence is difficult. There is no ‘typical’ woman who becomes homeless because of domestic and family violence. Such violence can and does affect women of all ages, cultural, social and economic backgrounds, and women living in all sorts of relationships. The election of the Rudd Government and its commitment to the development of a ten year plan to address homelessness in Australia provides promise that women and children affected by domestic and family violence, and the threat and reality of homelessness, will be given greater prominence in the public policy arena.
This report investigates the support and accommodation needs of women (and children) affected by domestic and family violence. It finds that there is no one solution to domestic and family violence related homelessness. There is also no easy to roll out solution. This is because there is no one pathway into homelessness for all women affected by domestic and family violence and many women cycle in and out of homelessness and crisis accommodation.
A range of prevention and intervention initiatives are needed as part of an integrated approach to addressing domestic and family violence, and violence related homelessness. Certain types of assistance work for some victims or survivors and not for others. Moreover, the types of assistance and support needed depend greatly on the personal circumstances (health, social, cultural and geographic background et cetera) and the financial resources of/available to women, especially their independent financial capacity.
Two types of assistance are clearly critical in terms of supporting women affected by domestic and family violence:
- provision of safe, secure and affordable housing; and
- provision of a continuum of individualised and open-ended support, including outreach services, that wraps around women and their children in a range of areas (therapy, health, life skills, housing assistance et cetera) for as long as they need it.
Strategies are needed that raise community awareness around the issue, extent and impact of domestic and family violence on women and families. Initiatives are also required that support women at a range of well known risk points for domestic and family violence.
In terms of interventionist strategies, it is imperative that accommodation and the range of support services required by women affected by domestic and family violence (counselling, health care, therapeutic services and income support) are well integrated, individualised, ongoing and open-ended.
Housing assistance measures for women affected by domestic and family violence and who end up homeless need to include options that allow women to remain safely housed or to find affordable, stable and suitable accommodation within a short timeframe. A range of options are needed, including: accessible and well resourced shelters and refuges, safe houses for Indigenous women and cooling of spaces for Indigenous men, staying safe at home options for those women for whom they are appropriate and supported housing options for women with higher needs. Transitional housing is a critical accommodation support for women if permanent housing can not be secured in the short term.
There is significant concern in the domestic and family violence sector that the sector itself is in crisis because of a lack of resources to assist women and a lack of exit points from crisis accommodation into longer term housing. More safe, secure, affordable and stable housing options are needed to support women to re-establish their lives post violence. These options are needed across all tenures. As a first option more public and community housing is clearly needed. Social housing is widely acknowledged as the most appropriate housing option for many women affected by domestic and family violence – largely due to affordability benchmarks. This said, housing assistance programs that help to sustain women in their current housing or to move to a more appropriate option in the private market are also needed. These programs must assist women with the cost of sustaining housing, particularly given the current affordability crisis in both the private rental sector and for some home owners. A range of options to assist women in this regard are discussed throughout the report.
There is also concern in the sector that particular groups of women have been identified as missing out on access to services. These groups include: women with disabilities, older women, younger women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women with large numbers of children and women in rural, regional and remote areas.
Addressing domestic and family violence related homelessness requires a commitment from Federal, State/Territory and local governments to a long-term integrated approach to addressing the safety and security of women and children. This approach must include a commitment to increasing the funding for addressing domestic and family violence – and not only to maintain the current level of services (which are under increasing strain) but also to address unmet need and demand in the sector. An integrated approach to addressing domestic and family violence must also have bi-partisan support and a whole-of-Government focus. It must be formalised and directed at the Federal level and coordinated with State and Territory Governments, as many of the services needed for an integrated approach are State/Territory responsibilities. It must also have the support of the domestic and family violence sector, as this sector has a wealth of experience and expertise in