A NEW women’s refuge with 12 units is being delivered in the Western Sydney LGA with the support of $5.8 million in grants to support women fleeing domestic and family violence.
On completion – expected in November – the site will increase the number of available women’s crisis accommodation sites in the Western Sydney region to nine, with a total of 13 Specialist Homelessness Services providing supports to women and children in the area.
The project is supported through $5.8 million in capital funding grants and is being developed by community housing provider Evolve Housing with support service provisions delivered through Women’s Community Shelters in partnership with Parramatta Women’s Shelter.
It will comprise a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom self-contained lockable dwellings, each with individual entrances and to be fully self-contained with either a private courtyard or balcony in addition to communal and external areas for pets.
The new refuges are being built under the NSW government’s $426.6 million Core and Cluster Program which aims to support more than 2,900 women and their children each year. The Core and Cluster model enables a woman to leave a violent relationship or home with not only her children but any family pets as well.
“Securing safe housing remains a critical hurdle to overcoming domestic violence and is a key contributor to women’s homelessness in NSW,” said NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson.
This week is Homelessness Week. On any given night, 122,500 Australians are without a home, according to Homelessness Australia, and new data from the organisation shows that between December and March, an additional 6,658 people sought out homelessness assistance in Australia, as rent hikes and record low vacancies pushes many into crisis.
Homelessness Australia said the number of people seeking homelessness assistance spiked 7.5% over the period, reflecting the need for an additional $450 million in homelessness assistance.
The NSW government is allocating $21.4 million to Western Sydney homelessness services across the LGAs of Cumberland, Parramatta, Blacktown and the Hills Shire.
Evolve Housing CEO Lyall Gorman said, “These safe homes offer a way out to women who find themselves trapped in abusive relationships, providing them with a secure environment that not only ensures physical safety but also offers emotional support, counselling, and additional resources to assist women and their children to reshape their futures”.
