Pictured:Wellsprings for Women (Melbourne, VIC)
$76,750 to support women experiencing homelessness
Homelessness is a growing reality for women across Australia. Systemic challenges mean that keeping, securing, and maintaining a safe place to call home is often out of reach for women and gender diverse folk. These include domestic and family violence, the gender pay/superannuation gap, disrupted work, poverty and the housing affordability crisis. 45% of women and girls seeking homelessness support list domestic and family violence as the cause, while 80% of those turned away from services are women.
Throughout September and October, we have been shining a light on women facing homelessness, raising awareness and funds for gender specific responses that help to prevent, end, and respond to homelessness for this group. Through the generosity of our giving community including people who donate regularly, those who chipped in to support this project, as well as committed corporate and philanthropic partners, we have been able to support 15 organisations across Australia.
“Specific challenges faced by the women and gender diverse young people we support are the impacts due to poverty, violence, and homelessness that include limited access to housing (and other basic needs), safety, food insecurity, healthcare (including physical and socio-emotional impacts), educational outcomes.“– Zig Zag Young Women’s Resource Centre in Brisbane (on Turrbal Country)
76,750
591
15
Funding for gender specific responses to support women facing homelessness
Through this grants round, we have been able to respond to a diverse range of drivers of women’s homelessness, seeking out smaller grassroots organisations that are responding in gender specific ways. For example we’re funding programs for older women over 55 years, women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, those affected by domestic and family violence, young women, some with children, those who identify as gender diverse or trans, and women who have been in contact with the criminal justice system.
“Most women who are homeless have children in their care. In the Mornington Peninsula specifically, there are limited crisis accommodation shelters specific to women’s and children’s needs, and no NGO support providing preventative care to those who are at high risk of becoming homeless. This will help us establish a new shelter on the Mornington Peninsula“– Women’s Community Shelters (on Wurundjeri Country)
15 grants across regional and metro Australia
| Organisation | Grant $ |
| Annie North | $5,000.00 |
| Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Services | $5,000.00 |
| Housing for the Aged Action Group | $5,000.00 |
| Karinya Young Women’s Service | $5,250.00 |
| Law and Advocacy Centre for Women | $5,000.00 |
| Marnin Bowa Dumbara Derby Family Healing Centre | $5,250.00 |
| Seeds of Affinity: Pathways for Women | $5,250.00 |
| SpeakOut Immigrant Women’s Association of NSW | $5,250.00 |
| St Kilda Gatehouse | $5,000.00 |
| The Forgotten Women Project (Mangrove Housing) | $5,250.00 |
| United Housing Co-operative | $5,000.00 |
| Wellsprings for Women | $5,000.00 |
| Women’s Community Shelters – Mornington Peninsula | $5,000.00 |
| Women’s Shelter Armidale | $5,250.00 |
| Zig Zag Young Women’s Resource Centre | $5,250.00 |
| Total | $76,750.00 |
Pictured: Seeds of Affinity (Website)
“When women leave prison, they often do so with just a plastic bag of belongings, and little else. This grant will be used to support women to transition into the community and give them as much chance as possible to succeed post – release. We receive no ongoing funding from the government, and all of our staff are volunteers. This lack of funding is not from lack of trying, but reflects the competitive nature of grants”. – Seeds of Affinity in Adelaide (on Kaurna Country)
“We have the capacity to assist 29 women with or without children but only funded to support 13. We don’t have enough double beds to be able to support more Mums with children, so with this funding we will be able to increase our bedding status to support higher family intakes.”– Marnin Bowa Dumbara Aboriginal Corporation in WA (on Nykiana Coutry)
“This grant will be used for continuing to provide safe and secure housing for women on temporary visas, on the verge of homelessness, due to domestic violence. Due to their visa status, these women have limited access to support such as accommodation, transitional housing or even Centrelink. As a result they are trapped into violent relationships. Most of them cannot speak English and they are very isolated. ” – SpeakOut Immigrant Women Association of NSW in Sydney (on Gadigal Country)
“This grant will help us addresses the urgent and growing issue of homelessness among women over 55—the fastest-rising demographic of homelessness. The rental top-ups will provide a safety net, giving these women the security they need to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as health, employment, and personal development” – The forgotten Women in QLD (on Quandamooka Country)
“It is increasingly difficult to access trauma informed diagnoses and supports for in our regional community. With this funding we can engage trauma-informed therapeutic support for women escaping violence” – Annie North in VIC (on Dja Dja Wurrung Country)
Annie North (source)
“This grant will support our Pathways out of the Justice System program which provides wrap-around support to women, trans and gender-diverse people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who are also at risk of entrenchment in the criminal justice system. It provides targeted, specialist in-house case-management services to connect women, trans and gender-diverse people who are charged with criminal offences with housing services” – Law and Advocacy Centre for Women in Melbourne (on Wurundjeri Country)
Our donors and supporters have collectively impacted over 591 lives and strengthened 15 smaller grassroots organisations on the frontline of the homelessness crisis. We are always interested in connecting with philanthropists, trusts and foundations and companies who are looking to partner for positive impact and respond to homelessness in Australia, please reach out at partners@streetsmartaustralia.org if this sounds like you.
