Western Victorians escaping domestic violence subject to “19.5 month” wait for housing

As Homelessness Week shines a spotlight on the nation’s housing crisis, a south west Victorian support service has warned that domestic violence is driving a growing number of women and children in western Victoria into homelessness.

Sexual Assault and Family Violence Centre (SAVF) chief executive Kerriann Campbell-Jones told the Brolga that escaping abuse remained one of the most common triggers for women losing their homes in Warrnambool and surrounding towns.

“One of the number one drivers for homelessness is women escaping family violence,” Campbell-Jones said.

In the 2023-24 financial year, the centre supported 994 people in the south west region for homelessness, with 42 percent of those being survivors of family and domestic violence.

While the organisation’s next annual report is due in November, Campbell-Jones said early signs pointed to another increase and warned that rising case numbers, combined with a shortage of housing and underfunded services, meant many victim-survivors were left in limbo.

“We are encouraging women to leave violent partners, but underinvestment in social housing and services means there is nowhere for them to go,” she said.

Victoria’s social housing stock, she noted, was stretched beyond capacity.

“Women, young people and children who have family violence prioritisation are waiting an average of 19.5 months to get into social housing,” she said. 

“It comes as no surprise that chronic underinvestment in social housing has an impact on people experiencing homelessness.”

In small regional communities, the barriers can be even more confronting.

“There are zero degrees of separation in a small country town,” she said, adding that this could make both leaving a violent relationship and finding safe accommodation more difficult.

The SAVF centre has been relying on emergency accommodation, often hotels, as a temporary solution, but Campbell-Jones said the sector simply didn’t have adequate funding.

The federal government’s 2024-25 May Budget announced a $952.2 million Leaving Violence Program to be rolled out over five years, providing permanent financial assistance to people escaping violent relationships. 

Support includes grants of up to $5,000 in relocation and safety costs, as well as help for temporary visa holders facing abuse.

The SAFV centre, locally known as Emma House, has a refuge located in Warrnambool that offers a communal model of accommodation. 

Plans are currently in place to develop a new Core and Cluster style refuge as well, which will increase the number of women and children accessing this support.

“Having access to emergency accommodation with the support of our community through donations, through government funding, it’s never enough, but we need that support in order to get these victim-survivors into hotels and refuge accommodation as quickly as possible,” she said.

“When we know that somebody is in a family violence situation and we’re seeing some red flags, we need to call it out safely and wrap our support around those families as quickly as possible.”

For Campbell-Jones, the message is simple: “None of our community wants to see women and children – or anybody – in a homeless situation.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available 24/7 by calling 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

In western Victoria, the Sexual Assault and Family Violence Centre is also available to provide resources and support.

Header image: Emma House Warrnambool.