Currently, more than half (54.7%) of the women in our Relink and Reconnect program have no home to go to after they leave prison.
Of those women, 39.5% have health issues such as a chronic condition or disability. Seven percent have dependent children.
When Aboriginal women are denied access to safe and secure housing, their experiences of violence and trauma never end. The current housing crisis means women are being kept in prison past their release dates, released into homelessness or dangerous housing situations. Women experiencing violence at home face the real possibility of homelessness if they leave. This is not acceptable.
When we have safe, connected and autonomous housing for women leaving violence, they can begin rebuilding their lives, in the way they choose.
Currently, the programs delivered by Elizabeth Morgan House for women at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre are seeing the impacts of lack of adequate referral pathways to housing options are having on women who they support. This is a clear gap.
Safe housing would provide physical and emotional protection from threats and violence. Most of our crisis accommodation needs are met by hotels/motels. These are unsafe places that potentially expose women and their children to further harm, or child removal. Other options include government, housing which continues the control and monitoring of their lives or a reliance on family, which is not an option for many women.
Women often experience loneliness and isolation after exiting prison, and safe and secure housing options should include the opportunity for a woman to connect with family, community and culture by allowing them a safe space. Current crisis and short term housing options don’t facilitate connection with family or other support systems.
When women are free from the coercive control of an unhealthy relationship, moving to housing that seeks to control where you are, who you are with and what you can do can is not an escape. Our women need to be autonomous in their housing situation so they can determine their own future.
To create better pathways out of homelessness, the holistic, specialist approach employed by Elizabeth Morgan House is looking for:
Further housing options for our programs
As the only specialist family violence service for Aboriginal women and children in the state, the current funding model keeps our women and our organisation marginalised. To achieve a lasting impact, we need a flexible funding model.
Appropriate referral pathways out of prison and out of violent homes are essential to achieve this. Dedicated transitional housing is needed now.
An end to motel crisis accommodation
While the NSW Government recently introduced a ban on minors in crisis motel accommodation, there are no such restrictions in Victoria. We need safe alternatives, places that allow for the restarting of your life near employment, support networks, education and childcare.
Changes to case management approaches
Aboriginal women and their children are at the centre of everything we do at Elizabeth Morgan House. Our client-led approach considers trauma, strengths and cultural identity across a woman’s journey.
Safe and secure housing options for women should ensure that specialist case management support is included. This approach addresses their needs for employment, planning for children and other family members or accessing long-term mental health care.
Safe, connected and autonomous housing is vital to combatting violence against women and children.
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