In 2015, the Family Violence Royal Commission (Royal Commission) was established to find ways to prevent family violence, improve support for victim survivors and hold perpetrators to account.
The Royal Commission provided its report, including 227 recommendations, to the Victorian Government on 29 March 2016. The Victorian Government committed to implementing all 227 of the Royal Commission’s recommendations to improve Victoria’s response to family violence.
Recommendation 20 proposed that the Victorian Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing report annually to the Parliamentary Committee on Family Violence on:
- the extent of unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence - including the average and range of current stays by women and children in crisis and transitional accommodation
- progress in meeting the benchmark of 6 weeks in crisis accommodation
- proposed actions for meeting the continuing housing demand from people affected by family violence.
This report provides information on the extent of unmet demand among people affected by family violence.
Reporting the unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence
This is the first instance of reporting against unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence.
Reporting: unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence, in conjunction with Attachment 1: Data showing unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence – June 2021, provide an overview of the met and unmet housing demand across 4 housing pathways for people affected by family violence:
- social housing
- crisis accommodation
- transitional housing
- long-term housing.
Download
- Reporting: unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence – accessible (Word)
- Reporting: unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence (PDF)
- Attachment 1: Data showing unmet housing demand among people affected by family violence – June 2021 (xlsx)
Reporting on the proposed actions for meeting the continuing demand for people affected by family violence
Recommendation 20 also asks that the Victorian Government report on the proposed actions for meeting the continuing housing demand from people affected by family violence.
Since the conclusion of the Royal Commission, people affected by family violence have been prioritised for access to social housing through their categorisation on the Victorian Housing Register. To support this cohort, the Victorian Government also:
- acquired 325 social housing dwellings and head leased 401 medium-term tenancies from the private sector
- is providing over 6,500 flexible support packages each year to help victim survivors and supporting over 1,800 people with private rental assistance
- is redeveloping 17 Homes Victoria owned family violence refuges to the ‘core and cluster’ model and constructing three new Aboriginal family violence refuges including a new Aboriginal family violence refuge in the Horsham region
- is delivering the Homelessness to Home package that provides 1,845 households residing in emergency hotel accommodation due to coronavirus (COVID-19) access to long-term stable housing and support packages
- is delivering secure and stable housing to 250 families with children currently living in emergency accommodation, as well as the support they need to maintain it
- has provided $40.2 million in 2019–20 and 2020–21 to assist in the response to COVID-19, significantly boosting existing family violence programs and services to keep family violence survivors safe and perpetrators in view including the provision of short-term accommodation for victim survivors.
In November 2020, the Victorian Government announced the Big Housing Build, a landmark investment of $5.3 billion into Victoria’s social and affordable housing sector. It will deliver more than 12,000 new homes across Victoria including: 9,300 social housing dwellings; replacing 1,100 old social housing dwellings; and 2,900 new affordable homes so that low to moderate income Victorians can access homes close to work and education.
An additional 1,000 public housing homes will be provided for 1,800 Victorians that are escaping family violence, and those who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness through the Building new homes to fight homelessness program.
But the social and affordable housing challenge will require ongoing effort over many years, extending beyond the Big Housing Build.
That is why the Victorian Government is developing a new 10 Year Strategy for social and affordable housing in Victoria. We are committed to ensuring all Victorians have access to a safe, affordable and appropriate home. The new strategy will establish the 10-year vision for social and affordable housing in Victoria and build on the success of the Big Housing Build and other investment to date by the Victorian Government. It will establish a view on what success looks like for people, enablers of the overall housing system, and importantly the actions we need to take to get there.