By Celia Adams, CEO, Beyond Housing
The lack of supply of housing, from crisis accommodation to private rentals, impacts many parts of society, but its impact on women, particularly those experiencing family violence, is often overlooked.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Balance the Scales”, focusing on the changes needed to achieve justice, safety and equity for all women and girls.
Changes to the housing industry are an important part of this, because without safe and affordable housing, many women wanting to escape family violence have nowhere to go.
This means they face the difficult choice between staying, leaving to go to another unsafe environment, or leaving for an unaffordable or unsustainable option, causing further distress and uncertainty.
Last year, 422 of the people who accessed our services at Beyond Housing reported domestic or family violence as their main reason for using our services.
One option we have for these people is our Safe Places accommodation. Safe Places is purpose-built accommodation funded by the federal government. They are designed with safety in mind, coming fully furnished and with access to specialist family violence supports for women and children they house.
Women escaping violence not only have to cope with the risks to their physical safety, but with considerable psychological harm as well, and having a safe and secure place to stay helps them with both.
Safe Places is not long-term housing, but what it does provide is a safe, secure, temporary option which allows women space to consider next steps, to think about their future, and to have agency over what happens next.
It’s the type of support women fleeing family violence should expect, yet due to limited resources, it is unfortunately a level of support few receive.
We only have a handful of Safe Places properties across our vast region, and while we are rapidly increasing our property portfolio, it is still far from enough to meet demand.
When dedicated safe crisis accommodation is unavailable, we must rely on the private market to respond. It’s a very temporary option and can be a flawed one.
When we book accommodation, we have no way of knowing who else is staying there, and whether safety will be compromised. Pets are rarely able to stay, meaning women have to make tough choices about leaving pets behind, knowing they could be harmed or staying in an unsafe environment.
We also can’t guarantee an option close to support and emergency services, and we can’t guarantee their location won’t become known, especially in rural and regional communities, and that is, of course, if there is a vacancy we can book in the first place.
We genuinely appreciate the relationships we have with accommodation providers, who have perhaps unintentionally become part of the system’s response to homelessness and the need for crisis accommodation. We also acknowledge that it should not be a private business owner’s responsibility in the absence of appropriate alternatives.
Women deserve to know that if they are leaving violence, there will be somewhere safe for them and their children to stay. But without adequate government investment in safe and affordable housing, including crisis options, this cannot be the case.
The homelessness service system is at capacity. Whilst organisations do all we can for any person who walks through our doors reporting family violence, such as providing crisis accommodation, referral to specialist supports, and assistance to secure long-term housing, women still face uncertainty and very few options, including very long wait times.
As a registered charity, financial donations help us meet these needs and give the people using our services the agency and freedom to choose the support that suits them best.
Financial donations can help cover the cost of a night’s accommodation, or can provide essential items such as food, clothing, hygiene products, or other necessities that people often cannot bring with them when they leave.
A donation to a registered charity this International Women’s Day is a contribution to every woman being safe, having the security of housing, and the ability to shape their own future.
All donations make a difference, and people wanting to give can do so by heading to our website – https://beyondhousing.org.au/get-involved/donating/make-a-donation/
Understandably, people want to know that when they give, they are giving to a cause that directly aligns with their values. Beyond Housing operates alongside many registered charities that work with women and children in our region, and we encourage people to consider which charity is right for them when choosing to donate.
The Bridge Youth and Family Services provides housing, education and wellbeing support for young people in Greater Shepparton – https://thebridge.org.au/donate-now-2/
NESAY supports young people and their families to achieve their goals and aspirations, including safe housing, independent living, sustaining education and employment in the North East Victoria – https://nesay.com.au/ways-you-can-help/
Primary Care Connect provides person-centred care across the Goulburn Murray region, including mental health support, family violence services, and drug and alcohol counselling – www.primarycareconnect.com.au or phone (03)233200
Marian Community is a 24/7 specialist family violence service that supports victim survivors with immediate intervention and a wraparound model of care, safety and recovery – www.vincentcare.org.au/get-involved/donate-form
All these registered charities ensure donations make a tangible difference to the lives of their clients, not only helping the individuals, but also balancing the scales that are so often tilted against those most in need.