Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How will the Housing Australia Future Fund help deliver the Albanese government's commitment to support women and children experiencing family and domestic violence to have a safe and affordable place to call home?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Macquarie for that question. Of course, today's passage of the Housing Australia Future Fund is an important step to ensuring that women and children experiencing family and domestic violence have a safe and affordable place to call home.

Now, our government recognises that having a safe place to live is essential if we're going to end gender based violence in one generation. Of course, escaping domestic and family violence is a significant driver for women and children leaving their homes in Australia. Around 40 per cent of people seeking homelessness services in Australia are women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence. We also know that too many victim-survivors are forced to choose between returning to a violent relationship or becoming homeless. Indeed, it's estimated that, in any one year, as a result of unaffordable, inadequate and insecure housing, over 7,000 women are returning to violent homes because they have no place to live.

Now, the passage of the Housing Australia Future Fund will unlock $100 million over the first five years, for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children fleeing violence and for older women at risk of homelessness. In addition to this investment in crisis and transitional housing, the HAFF will also facilitate 4,000 new long-term homes for those impacted by family and domestic violence and for older women.

This government elevated the importance of housing in our National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, including the importance of access to short-term, medium-term and long-term housing for women and children. The HAFF will complement our efforts, already underway, to ensure that these different housing options, all along that continuum, are able to be delivered, including through our Safe Places program.

These investments make a real difference, and I saw this firsthand when I visited, with the member for Macquarie, a short-term women's crisis accommodation project in South Windsor. This is making a difference on the ground. Building more housing for women and children is part of our broader plan, which also includes a range of other initiatives that we've funded in our last two budgets.

But I would like to remind everyone listening today who may be experiencing violence that help is available. So, please, if you need help, reach out: 1800RESPECT is there for you 24 hours a day.

This government is working hard to improve access to safe and affordable housing for women and children experiencing violence, and we will keep working for all Australians to ensure that they have a place to call home.