……. Photo: 4 Voices
Thanks to the generosity of our community, StreetSmart has distributed $100,000 in funding to 20 organisations delivering gender-specific responses to homelessness, housing insecurity and family violence.
The grants support a diverse network of frontline organisations working in communities all across Australia. Together, they are helping women access safe housing, escape violence, build financial security and overcome barriers that can push people into homelessness.
The funding comes at a critical time.
Women continue to face unique and often overlooked pathways into homelessness. Family and domestic violence remains a leading driver, while lifelong financial inequality, insecure work, caring responsibilities and a severe shortage of affordable housing are leaving more women vulnerable to housing insecurity than ever before.
Recent data shows women aged 55 to 59 are one of the fastest-growing groups experiencing homelessness, while more than a third of single women over 60 are living in poverty.
While the causes may be complex, the organisations responding to them are delivering practical solutions every day.
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Addressing Women’s Homelessness Through Housing Support
Across the country, many of the funded organisations are helping women maintain or secure stable housing before a crisis escalates.
In regional Queensland, WillowTree 37 Women’s Support Centre is responding to growing demand from women experiencing housing insecurity, financial hardship, family violence and social isolation. The grant is helping provide emergency supermarket vouchers, fuel assistance, clothing and household essentials, alongside short-term accommodation support for women facing immediate crisis.
The Council of Single Mothers and Their Children is using funding to help women address some of the practical costs that can stand between a family and stable housing. Support may include moving costs, household essentials and assistance with establishing a new home.
For migrant women experiencing homelessness following family violence, Immigrant Women’s Speakout continues to operate two community-funded crisis shelters. StreetSmart funding is helping cover essential operational costs, ensuring women who often have limited access to government support still have somewhere safe to turn.
……. Photo: Seeds of Affinity Pathways for Women
Women’s Homelessness And Family Violence
For many women, homelessness and violence are deeply connected.
Several grants have been directed towards organisations supporting women and children escaping family violence, including Kara Family Violence Service, Good Samaritan Inn, Top End Women’s Legal Service. and St Kilda Gatehouse.
Breaking Down Barriers
At Kara Family Violence Service, funding is helping women and children escaping violence overcome one of the biggest barriers to long-term housing: the upfront costs associated with securing a private rental when social and public housing options are in short supply.
Responding to the Many Drivers of Women’s Homelessness
While violence is the leading factor in women’s homelessness, there are several drivers that organisations are responding to. Located in the heart of St Kilda, Gatehouse supports women involved in street-based sex work, many of whom experience homelessness, addiction, social isolation and poverty. Funding will help provide practical assistance, including material aid, access to showers and laundry facilities, counselling and support for women experiencing unstable accommodation.
Preventing Women’s Homelessness Before Crisis
Not every response to homelessness begins with crisis accommodation.
Some organisations are working further upstream, helping women build the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to achieve long-term housing security.
Lioness Den is using its grant to expand a coaching and mentoring program that supports single mothers in becoming home-loan ready. The program helps women build financial capability and confidence while navigating a housing market that often disadvantages single-parent households.
In South Australia, Seeds of Affinity is creating transitional accommodation for women leaving prison. Run by and for women with lived prison experience, the organisation provides community connection, practical support and a sense of belonging during one of the most vulnerable periods of a woman’s life. Funding will help furnish 15 new accommodation rooms, creating safe housing options for women who might otherwise leave prison into homelessness.
Meanwhile, Wellsprings for Women is supporting women recovering from family violence to access employment pathways, skills training, driving lessons and opportunities that strengthen long-term independence and financial security.
Small Grants. Significant Impact.
For many grassroots organisations, flexible funding remains one of the hardest resources to secure.
”"StreetSmart Australia is a nimble, insightful and on the mark charity with its ears to the ground while its sights are on the bigger picture. Its grants may be small but never underestimate the impact of an injection of funds into a service dealing with complex social problems and entrenched disadvantages."
Wellsprings for Women
For organisations working on the frontline of homelessness and family violence, unrestricted funding can make the difference between responding to an urgent need or turning someone away.
”"Women like Sandi were pushed into homelessness when their partner's violence escalated. Practical and emotional support ensured her immediate needs were met and that she could safely begin rebuilding her life. Having access to safe, non-judgemental support brings dignity and hope even in difficult days."*
St Kilda Gatehouse
Thank You
The organisations funded through A Gendered Lens understand that women’s homelessness is rarely caused by a single event.
Thank you to every donor, partner, supporter and Beyond Bank who helped make these grants possible.
Together, you’ve helped direct $100,000 to 20 organisations creating safer pathways, stronger communities and more opportunities for women across Australia.
| Organisation | Grant Amount | State / Region |
| 4 Voices QLD | $5,000.00 | QLD – Logan |
| Afghan Women’s Organisation Victoria | $5,000.00 | VIC – Statewide |
| Bayside Shelter Inc | $5,000.00 | QLD – Brisbane |
| Biyani House | $5,000.00 | NSW – Sydney West |
| Council of Single Mothers and Their Children | $5,000.00 | VIC – Statewide |
| Detour House – The Girls Refuge | $5,000.00 | NSW – Sydney Inner West |
| Good Samaritan Inn | $5,000.00 | VIC – Melbourne North |
| Kara FVS | $5,000.00 | VIC – Melbourne East |
| Lioness Den | $5,000.00 | VIC – Melbourne Inner South |
| Mettle Women | $5,000.00 | WA – Perth |
| North West Tasmania Womens Shelter | $5,000.00 | TAS – Ulverstone |
| Olivia’s Place | $5,000.00 | VIC – Gippsland |
| Seeds of Affinity | $5,000.00 | SA – Kilburn |
| SpeakOut | $5,000.00 | NSW – Sydney |
| St Kilda Gatehouse | $5,000.00 | VIC – Melbourne Inner South |
| Top End Women’s Legal Service | $5,000.00 | NT – Darwin |
| Warlga Ngurra | $5,000.00 | NSW – Newcastle / Hunter |
| Wellsprings for Women | $5,000.00 | VIC – Southern |
| Willow Tree 37 | $5,000.00 | QLD -Warwick |
| Womens Justice Network | $5,000.00 | NSW – Sydney |
| Total Grants | $100,000.00 |
As the cost of living continues to rise and the recent fuel crisis places even greater pressure on households and frontline services, many community organisations are being asked to do more with less.
Our End of Financial Year Appeal is focused on helping plug these growing funding gaps, providing flexible support that allows local organisations to respond to emerging needs, keep essential services running, and continue supporting people facing homelessness and hardship.
If you’d like to help strengthen these frontline responses, we invite you to support the appeal before June 30.
Thanks to our donors and supporters, $100,000 has been distributed to 20 grassroots organisations, supporting older Australians and ensuring they have the resources and care they need.
We’re always keen to connect with philanthropists, trusts, foundations and companies looking to partner for meaningful impact. If that sounds like you, reach out to partners@streetsmartaustralia.org.
