Australia’s leading national women’s organisation is warning of an impending housing crisis for women and children escaping domestic and family violence during and after the COVID-19 lockdown.

YWCA Director of National Housing and Property Development Jan Berriman said the Federal Government’s COVID-19 pledge of $150 million to support an expected rise in demand for domestic and family violence services was welcomed but it would not go far enough to meet the rising need for safe housing for women and children at risk.

“There was not enough crisis, refuge, social or affordable housing stock to meet demand even before COVID-19,” Ms Berriman said. “With the number of domestic violence cases expected to rise significantly in the coming months, we will see a sharp increase in homelessness and families forced to live in unsuitable crisis accommodation.

“We need urgent action to increase affordable housing stock so women and children escaping violence have access to safe, long term accommodation.”

Ms Berriman said YWCA Australia was calling for a similar investment as the $5 billion 2009 Nation Building stimulus package which provided 20,000 new homes, the majority of which went to social housing.

“There is a huge risk that women will suffer in silence until the COVID-19 crisis has passed,” she warned. “While case workers expect a rise in domestic violence incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the full extent of the need for support and housing would not be known until after the crisis is over.

“We expect the impact to be similar to the bushfires earlier this year where some of our domestic and family violence services were seeing a doubling of serious threat cases after the immediate crisis had passed.

“It is then that they will need access to safe houses, counselling and employment services to get back on their feet and we need to be ready to support them.”

Ms Berriman said women over the age of 55, those from non-English speaking backgrounds, those with disability, LGBTIQA+ young people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were particularly vulnerable to homelessness.

She said YWCA’s domestic and family violence services, and domestic violence services by other organisations were still open and available to support women at this time.

Women and homelessness risk:

• Women over 55 are the fastest growing cohort experiencing homelessness. There has been a 10% increase in homelessness among women since 2011. In particular, the number of older women experiencing homelessness grew 31% from 2011-2016.
• Lack of long–term affordable housing stock, so that women and children can’t move on from crisis accommodation. 90% of all applications to YWCA National Housing in the first six months of 2019 were unsuccessful due to lack of housing stock.
• Single women have been priced out of the rental market. A March 2019 Rental Affordability Snapshot showed that there were two affordable private rental properties in Australia at that time, for singles on Newstart.

Women in immediate danger should called Triple Zero (000) and ask for the Police.

People can also call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

Statement from YWCA National Housing

These are uncertain and ever-evolving times for us all. To ensure that our affordable housing remain open and accessible, we have taken appropriate measures to ensure the safety of our tenants and staff. This includes increased hygiene measures for face to face support and within our houses, and added telephone support.

We ask that if you are displaying any cold or flu symptoms, to please call ahead. We may be able to help you over the phone and reduce any risk of transmission to help keep everyone safe.

Things are likely to change over coming weeks and months as the situation escalates. We promise that we will keep you updated on any changes to our housing services.

Information for our tenants

We know that our tenants are amazing women in close-knit communities who will look after each other during this crisis. We encourage our tenants to practice social distancing to reduce the risk of transmission, but to remember that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely. Check in on each other, and stay safe and well.

Per previous correspondence sent to each tenant, we ask that you notify us immediately if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been required to self-isolate after contact with a confirmed case. This helps us to help you!

Access to supermarkets and food

Tenants are also encouraged to be aware of supermarket and food options for seniors, people with disability and people who are required to self-isolate. This includes priority delivery and special designated shopping hours. For more information, check out supermarket websites as follows:

• Woolworths: https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/discover/community/news?icmpid=sm-hp-hero1:other:other:wk38
• Coles: https://www.coles.com.au/customernotice
• Aldi: https://www.aldi.com.au/en/covid-19-update/
• IGA: https://www.iga.com.au/update/

If tenants are based in Victoria, there are emergency relief packages available for those who are in mandatory self isolation. These can be accessed by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. For more information, see the Victorian Premier’s media release.

Please note as well that hospitality venues (restaurants, pubs, clubs, etc.) are now trading as takeaway or home delivery venues only.

State Government COVID-19 websites

For regular COVID-19 updates and advice, please visit:

• Victorian Government’s website: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
  • Victorian Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398
  • Coronavirus interactive self-assessment: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-self-assessment
• Queensland Government’s website: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19
  • Coronavirus quiz: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-quiz
• Northern Territory Government’s website: https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/

Other Supports

National Coronavirus Hotline: 1800 020 080

Services Australia: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/

Red Cross TeleCross: https://www.redcross.org.au/get-help/community-services/telecross

Bendigo women and their children who have experienced family violence or are at risk of homelessness will have access to safe and affordable housing with a new $2.2 million project being developed by YWCA National Housing.

YWCA National Housing and Property Development Director Jan Berriman said the build-to-rent project was a first-off for YWCA, which had been working with women in the region for more than a century.

“As a specialist women’s housing provider, YWCA National Housing has worked with GJ Gardner Homes to design these townhouses to meet the needs of some of Bendigo’s most vulnerable women,” she said.

Once completed, these townhouses will be held by YWCA and made available for 75% of the market rental rate. Women and children on lower incomes who have experienced family violence will be prioritised as tenants.

“Many women in the Greater Bendigo area face serious barriers to affordable housing, particularly those who have experienced family violence,” Ms Berriman said.

“One-third of working women in Bendigo earn less than $400 a week and more than half of women of working age in the region are not in the labour force.

“This crisis is set to worsen with the region’s population forecast to rise to 156,000 by 2036, requiring an additional 900 homes per year in the region.”

Ms. Berriman said long-term residents of the five two-storey townhouses would be given the option to buy their homes in the future.

“Women comprise the fastest group of people at risk of homelessness in Australia because they are often unable to afford the private rental market and demand for affordable rental properties outstrips supply.

“Bendigo is a stark example of this tragic reality.”

The family-friendly three-bedroom townhouses will be designed with sustainability and security in mind, and include solar panels, double glazing, and water saving techniques. To help residents connect with services, education, employment and community, each townhouse will have NBN connectivity. They are expected to be completed in mid-2020.

GJ Gardner Homes Director Danny Breen said he was proud to partner with YWCA on the project.

“Our organisation is committed to giving back to the community, and we look forward to delivering wonderful homes for five women-headed households,” Mr Breen said.

Ms Berriman said the build-to-rent initiative reflected YWCA National Housing’s commitment to improving women’s social, economic and educational participation through the provision of safe, secure and affordable housing.

Applications and eligibility criteria for these townhouses will be released in March 2020. YWCA National Housing will be working with local providers to refer clients to this opportunity.

We would like to announce some recent changes to roles on the YWCA National Housing and YWCA Housing Boards. As of 1 July 2019, Anna Draffin is the new Chair and Kirsty Rourke is the new Deputy Chair of both Boards.

Anna was a Director of YWCA Victoria Housing between 2016 and 2018, and joined the YWCA National Housing and YWCA Housing boards in 2018. Anna has experience in corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors and is currently the CEO of ShareGift Australia. Her skills in strategy, business development, communications and translation of innovative ideas into commercial reality will serve YWCA well as Chair of our housing boards.

Kirsty was a Director of both YWCA Queensland and YWCA Australia prior to joining the YWCA Housing Boards in 2018. Kirsty is a seasoned real estate professional and passionate about young women’s leadership and providing women and families with access to long-term, stable accommodation. Her skills in legal, strategic and risk management are critical in YWCA’s development and management of community housing properties.

We thank Melinda van der Westhuizen, who has recently made the decision to step back from the role of Chair of the YWCA Housing and YWCA National Housing Boards. We are fortunate that Melinda will continue on both housing boards as a director. Her knowledge and experience of the property and housing sector and strategic business planning are very much valued.