Monday 5 August marked the start of National Homelessness Week, with the 2024 theme of Homelessness Action Now.
Homelessness, and the significant risk to safety this poses, is one the most prevalent adversities that the women that Women’s Legal Service WA work with are facing. With new stats from REIWA showing that WA’s median house price has risen 11.3% since December 2023, it appears as if there is no end in sight to this issue.
Women’s Legal Service works with women who have co-occurring legal and psychosocial needs, and these experiences have made it clear that an integrated practice model is imperative to improving women’s safe access to justice.
The Australian Institute of Health and Wellness recently released their Specialist homelessness services annual report 2022–23. This report showed that of the 24,500 clients seeking homelessness assistance in the period, 42% reported family, domestic and sexual violence as a reason for connecting with the service – the top reason reported for seeking assistance in WA. This is frequently reflected in the experiences of women seeking assistance from Women’s Legal Service:
Jill was on maternity leave when her ex-partner kicked her out of their family home, and she was forced to live in her car with her three young children. Jill had experienced ongoing financial, psychological, and emotional abuse from her ex-partner. When she realised that she had no way of obtaining secure accommodation on her own. Jill was forced to choose between homelessness, or pleading to return to an abusive home. For Jill, and for many other women with similar experiences, it’s not as simple as just staying or going.
We need to stop asking “why won’t she just leave?” and start asking “why won’t he stop?”
Anna and her ex-husband lived in a rental property, with both of their names on the lease. Before the lease was up, Anna fled the relationship due to her ex-husband’s physically and financially abusive behaviour. Anna was couch-surfing, and, although she could barely afford it, she continued to pay rent to avoid any negative impacts on her rental history. After she fled, Anna’s ex-husband inflicted significant property damage and left the property uninhabitable. Anna’s ex-husband refused to pay for the damage he caused, leaving Anna with thousands of dollars of debt. Even though Anna physically escaped, the impact of her ex-husband’s financial control is pervasive and ongoing.
Even if women can leave, help isn’t always available.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Wellness, 108,000 people sought help from homelessness services in 2022-23, but were unable to be assisted because of shortages of staff, or accommodation, or other services. This means 295 people a day are turned away because services are overstretched or non existent, and 80% of those turned away were women and children, many fleeing family, domestic and sexual violence.
Women’s Legal Service WA is a strong supporter of Homelessness Australia’s annual National Homelessness Week campaign, joining with them to raise awareness of the drivers and impact of homelessness on women and children, and the solutions needed to end this.
#HW2024