Overview
Mission Australia's submission is based on strengthening the implementation of Action 10 of the First Action Plan (Improve access to short-term, medium and long-term housing for women and children experiencing violence, including those living in institutional settings, and support women to stay in their own homes when they choose to do so). Our overarching message is that policy and practice across the housing, social housing, homelessness prevention, family and domestic violence (FDV), child and family and income support sectors must operate as a connected, integrated system to effectively support people who have experienced violence and achieve the goals of the National Plan.
The National Plan’s and Consultation Paper’s focus on prevention and early intervention to prevent FDV mirrors advocacy efforts in the housing and homelessness sector to shift from crisis-oriented to prevention-oriented responses. Our recommendations centre around supporting the creation of a Homelessness Prevention Transformation Fund that drives better resourcing towards targeted prevention programs for those most at risk and policy reforms that prevent homelessness for groups at high risk.
Alongside this is a concurrent need to improve pathways into long-term housing for those who need it. The Second Action Plan should continue to strengthen housing-based support for people experiencing FDV, but begin to shift future investment from crisis and transitional accommodation towards the provision and expansion of suitable long-term housing options. Courageous cross-sector advocacy efforts are also needed to push Australian governments to build more social and affordable housing and commission an official social housing needs analysis to understand the requisite scale of future funding commitments, in line with expert recommendations.
Lastly, access to adequate income support is needed to escape violence, access housing and re-establish a life free from violence. Social security payments are too low for people to secure safe, appropriate and long-term accommodation, particularly in the private rental market, or maintain a home without experiencing severe financial stress The range of constraints associated with a lack of income mean that people experiencing FDV can be forced to choose between homelessness and staying in, delaying leaving or returning to a violent relationship.
This is not acceptable. Sufficient financial support should be made available and easily accessible for people who have experienced FDV to assist them to escape violence and provide stability to continue to live free from violence.
It is Mission Australia’s strong belief that ending violence against women and children requires the provision of safe and appropriate long-term housing, ideally through uninterrupted pathways from crisis services and accommodation to affordable and secure housing options of the person’s choice (with wraparound supports if required). This would be accompanied, where needed, by access to adequate income support so that people who have experienced violence can remain housed, rebuild their lives and, ultimately, thrive.