Safe homes urgently needed in the North West

Ahead of the release of the State budget, Anglicare Tasmania CEO Chris Jones says investment in housing must be scaled up, and points to a chronic shortage of safe homes for those experiencing domestic and family violence (DFV) in the North West.

The drastic shortage of affordable housing is continuing to jeopardise the safety of women and children in the North West.

Last October, an Anglicare report showed the region is a DFV ‘hot spot’, with more family violence incidents per capita than other parts of the state. It recommended actions to address the region’s shortage of crisis accommodation, bottle-necked transitional housing, and the lack of long-term homes. So what has happened in the months since?

The Tasmanian Housing Minister Felix Ellis did announce an expansion of the Rapid Rehousing for Family Violence program so more private rentals could be offered to victim-survivors at a subsidised rent. The goal was to increase the state-wide pool of properties from 50 to 150. Unfortunately, the number of properties has gone backwards since his announcement, and at last count had declined to 44.

In a well-functioning housing system, Rapid Rehousing would give people escaping DFV a breathing space to determine their next steps. But it’s less effective when the region is experiencing a record low rental vacancy rate (less than 1%), high rental prices, and long waits for social housing. There is simply nowhere for single women and children to move on to.

We await the release by Homes Tasmania of a framework to guide ‘meanwhile use’ of existing buildings and assets as interim accommodation options. This was due to be developed by the end of last year.

In the North West, 1 in 6 people who need housing support cite DFV as the main reason. The most recent figures from the Housing Connect Front Door service show the problem is not easing. In the January-March quarter there was a 23% increase in the North West of people seeking housing support due to DFV.

While support services like Anglicare do their very best to assist people, only governments can deliver social and affordable housing at the scale required. There are now over 8000 Tasmanians waiting for social housing (5069 applications in total). The average wait time for social housing for priority applicants sits at more than 82 weeks.

To help women and children harmed by DFV, Federal and State governments must deliver – and expand – on the housing solutions they’ve promised. The current private rental market is not an option for most people, and is entirely out of reach for those on low incomes. And while more crisis and transitional accommodation is part of the solution, it will not deliver a long-term answer for victim-survivors.  They need a permanent, affordable home; a foundation on which to rebuild.

Access to long-term housing is what provides a real choice, and can be the difference between safety and danger. Right now, there are too many barriers, and the consequences for women and children can be catastrophic.

People need safe homes. It is time for governments to deliver a response that matches the size of the problem in the North West.