Australia to allocate A$145 million for crisis housing in Victoria
The Australian federal government will announce an investment of A$145 million in crisis and transitional housing in the state of Victoria. The funds are intended to provide for the construction of 234 additional homes for women fleeing family violence, as well as young people at risk of homelessness, ABC News Australia reports.
The funding will come from the Housing Australia Future Fund. Construction will be carried out with the participation of the Victorian government, community housing providers, and Indigenous organizations. The new homes are planned for Melbourne and regional areas of the state, including Greater Geelong, as well as the Mildura and Swan Hill areas.
Housing for survivors of violence
The initiative was supported by Jia, whose name was changed to protect her identity. She said that stable housing helped her leave an abusive relationship after moving from India to Australia. According to her, her partner controlled her phone, social media, movements, and daily routine, restricted her access to food, and threatened her with deportation if she did not comply with his demands, including handing over her earnings.
Jia contacted a support service and secretly prepared a plan for a safe departure for several weeks. She stressed that people leaving dangerous situations need not only the decision to leave, but also a place to move to.
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Support for homeless youth
Assistance will also be directed to young people experiencing homelessness. Sienna Sedgman first became homeless shortly before her 16th birthday due to family violence and other difficult circumstances. For some time, she stayed overnight with acquaintances while continuing to attend school before gaining access to crisis housing. She later used the Youth Foyer program, which provides young people with safe accommodation for up to two years and other forms of support.
According to the charity Melbourne City Mission, more than 11,000 people aged 15 to 24 seek help from specialized homelessness services each year without adult support. The organization’s chief executive, Paul Wappett, said census data show that around 7,600 young people in Victoria do not have a safe or secure place to sleep each night. According to him, young people account for 10% of all people experiencing homelessness, but only 3% of beds in the support system are available to them.
Following Victoria’s Royal Commission into the Mental Health System in 2021, the state government agreed to create 500 additional accommodation places for young people at risk of homelessness. However, the latest update indicated that only around a quarter of the promised homes were under construction, prompting sector representatives to call on authorities to explain their further plans.
