In the wake of Homelessness Week, alarming statistics continue to emerge about the crisis, with family violence pinpointed as one of the leading causes of homelessness, particularly for women and children escaping unsafe homes.
Beyond Housing reports that between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, 348 women reported family violence across the Goulburn and Ovens Murray regions, with 116 citing family breakdown as the main reason for seeking the organisation’s services.
While that makes up 32 per cent of all women seeking help, a further 254 women who sought help reported ‘other’ reasons for doing so.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, women might cite ‘other’ for various reasons that don’t necessarily fit into predefined categories.
These include violence from non-domestic partners, personal threats, sudden unemployment, inability to pay rent, financial crises not classified under ‘housing crisis’ or ‘financial difficulties’, chronic health problems, sudden medical emergencies or legal issues.
“These ‘other’ reasons highlight the complexity and intersectionality of issues leading to homelessness among women,” Beyond Housing acting chief executive Penny Hargrave said.
“Sadly, for many women and their children, the journey to homelessness begins with a desperate need to escape violence.”
Beyond Housing works closely with The Orange Door and other family violence support services, including the Centre Against Violence in the Ovens Murray region, VincentCare in Shepparton and NEXUS in Seymour, to provide holistic support to victim-survivors.
Housing is considered in the context of their wider needs.
In addition to securing crisis and emergency housing for women and children escaping family violence, Beyond Housing manages seven dedicated, purpose-built properties for victim-survivors, with another three to become available later this year.
Children exposed to family violence also suffer long-term emotional and psychological trauma, compounding the challenges of homelessness. For many, the instability and insecurity of homelessness further exacerbate their trauma, making recovery and rebuilding their lives incredibly difficult.
One such story is of 25-year-old Seymour resident Tamara*, who experienced family violence during her childhood and no longer has contact with her family.
Recently, she was boarding with a friend when the Child Protection Unit placed her friend’s nieces into her friend’s care.
To ensure the placement was not jeopardised, Tamara was asked to leave.
Originally from Tasmania, Tamara had limited connections in Seymour and struggled to secure accommodation.
After making car registration and other debt payments, she had limited funds until her next Centrelink payment.
The stress worsened her mental health, leading her to seek support from Beyond Housing.
Beyond Housing provided Tamara with five nights of crisis accommodation, material aid and financial counselling information, and a referral to The Bridge Youth Services.
Tamara secured share-room accommodation but needed additional crisis assistance until it became available.
Eventually, she was approved for a private one-bedroom rental unit and accessed Beyond Housing’s Private Rental Assistance Program to establish her tenancy.
PRAP provides support for people who are homeless but could sustainably be housed by addressing barriers to accessing the competitive private rental market.
The PRAP Plus program offers case management for those requiring additional practical support to establish or sustain a tenancy in a private rental.
Other programs include the Tenancy Assistance and Advocacy Program, which supports people in private rentals facing financial disadvantage or family violence by providing quality tenancy assistance and advocacy, including Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal support.
The Sustaining Tenancies at Risk program helps renters maintain their tenancies by addressing factors impacting housing stability through education, budgeting and advocacy with real estate agents.
“Despite the availability of Beyond Housing’s programs and services, many people, including victims of family violence, face significant barriers to seeking help. Fear of retribution, financial dependency and lack of awareness about available resources often prevent people from leaving abusive situations,” Ms Hargrave said.
“We must act now to improve access to emergency and long-term affordable housing and specialised support services to protect women and their children.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000.
If you are escaping family violence, you can get help from the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre by calling its 24-hour toll-free number: 1800 015 188. The service will assess your safety needs, arrange emergency or crisis accommodation and link you with a local family violence support service.
For more information, visit Beyond Housing.
*Name changed to protect the person’s identity.