‘No safe place to sleep’: Housing crisis takes toll on South West domestic violence survivors

A South West refuge for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence says it is being pushed to its limits by the worsening housing crisis, with hundreds turned away because there’s simply nowhere for them to go. Harbour — previously the South West Refuge — has revealed in its 2024–25 annual report it was unable to accommodate 817 women and children over the year due to lack of housing and staff resources. Harbour chief executive Ali White said that was 817 vulnerable people they were unable to help in times of need. The refuge received 1410 calls for help from survivors of domestic violence during the year, according to the report. It was able to support 191 people in its refuge, 246 through its Safe at Home program, 87 through mobile outreach and 19 families in transitional housing. But Ms White said the demand far outstripped the organisation’s capacity, with the not-for-profit being forced to seek non-government funding such as grants and donations. “Successive governments haven’t been funding these services as they should have been funded for many years,” she said. “It’s only been probably the last three years that we’re starting to see more funding coming into this kind of sector, but it takes a while to catch up. “It’s a bit like the housing problem, if you don’t build houses and you don’t have affordable housing and you don’t keep up with demand, you end up in a situation where there is a crisis and there isn’t enough beds and there isn’t enough support.” Ms White said the housing crisis was also playing a part in their challenges. “I think it’s certainly getting worse, and that’s putting pressure on the fact that when you’re homeless or in insecure accommodation, your risk of harm increases,” she said. “If you’re homeless, you’re not only susceptible to common violence like assaults, but also sexual violence if you’re a woman on your own. “Those numbers are getting worse because of the housing crisis, so people can’t find anywhere safe to sleep.” Ms White praised the dedication of workers, but said sustained investment was vital to create lasting change. “I think that investment needs to continue so that we can get on top of this social issue, rather than just respond to it, because that’s all we’re doing at the moment, we’re responding, and we need to be more proactive and have a look at the structures and the framework, including how we educate the community,” she said. Vasse MP and shadow minister for family and domestic violence Libby Mettam said the statistics were “absolutely shocking”, underscored by the State Government’s failure to act. “Eight hundred and seventeen individuals are being turned away from the South West Refuge because there is a lack of capacity — these are individuals who may feel they have no option but to return to the perpetrator or be homeless because the refuge does not have the resources that they urgently require,” she said. “The State Government have failed these agencies and also these individuals who have had to turn away because there is a shortage of accessible and affordable housing or emergency housing for our most vulnerable. “Often these refuges are the last point of call for individuals who feel threatened through family and domestic violence, so to understand that they are turning those vulnerable individuals away because they simply cannot cope, is deeply distressing for a State as wealthy as Western Australia. “It is appalling that agencies such as South West Refuge do not have the resources they need. I understand there will be some capital works happening going forward for an expansion of space, but they as a not-for-profit, are pleading for more resources as well to run such a facility.” Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Jessica Stojkovski said it was “distressing” to hear women and children fleeing family and domestic violence were turned away. “We recognise the important work of services in the South West and we will continue to work closely with them to understand demand and where additional support may be needed,” she said. “As a Minister, woman, and mother, the safety of women and children is my top priority.” Ms Stojkovski said since 2017, the State Government had “invested a record half a billion dollars” in the area. She said they had established the first ministry for the prevention of FDV and were working to invest in refuges and frontline services while reforming laws on guns, GPS tracking and violence restraining orders. “We have increased refuge capacity by 41 percent adding 91 new units for people fleeing FDV, with 91 more in the pipeline, and committed $11.5 million to support the Safe at Home Program’s rollout to seven new locations including in regional WA,” Ms Stojkovski said. “The Cook Labor Government is investing a record $5.8 billion in housing and homelessness measures since 2021, and we have added more than 3600 social homes across the State in this time.” Ms Stojkovski said that included nearly 200 social housing properties in the South West, with nearly 100 more under contract or construction. “The Cook Labor Government’s Rent Relief program has also already delivered over $15 million in targeted support to more than 3,500 households across Western Australia. This includes 214 households in the South West region,” she said. In August this year, The West Australian revealed domestic violence offending in WA hit a 10-year high, with record numbers of assaults, threats and breaches of family violence restraining orders reported to police in the last financial year.