Congratulations to the following organisations that were awarded a Grant to End Homelessness:
Northern Community Legal Centre Safe steps to legal rights and financial security
Responding to the issue that financial abuse within the context of family violence is a significant driver of homelessness, this project will establish a streamlined, integrated partnership model with family violence crisis accommodation centres to ensure swift access to legal assistance for women experiencing family violence. Access to legal support will enable victims/survivors to address accrued debt, employment and housing challenges; enable access to property and financial entitlements; and promote financial independence and stability into the future. The project aims to prevent future experiences of homelessness due to women’s experiences of financial abuse.
In collaboration with project partners, NCLC will also develop, test and refine a financial security assessment tool which can be shared broadly across the family violence and legal assistance sectors. This tool will assist women escaping family violence to self-assess for financial and social issues which have a legal remedy, ensuring timely access to legal support.
Uniting WA The Together Program: Supporting homeless pregnant women and young mothers
This project is a 3 year pilot program supporting pregnant women and young mothers with babies, who are experiencing homelessness. The program provides 1,000 days of tailored, wrap around support, stable housing and medical care. The program will improve the health and wellbeing of mother and baby, reduce the risk of child removal and significantly improve the long term outcomes for both mother and baby.
Older Women’s Network Blue Mountains: Ending homelessness for women over 55 years
This grant provides seed funding to establish a program that will help older women who are homeless or living in insecure housing find appropriate accommodation and support in the Blue Mountains. The program will link women up with homeowners who have a granny flat or other accommodation available to rent at an affordable price. Rental agreements and continued support will be offered to ensure that any issues are quickly resolved.
Prison Network: A Pathway from Prison to Permanent Housing
Women released from prison are often left to rebuild their lives with little or no support, whilst experiencing social stigma and discrimination. This makes it very difficult to find employment, housing, to build positive relationships and settle back into the community. Nine out of ten women in prison have experienced family violence and trauma further exacerbating the difficulties they face. This grant will help women overcome these challenges and develop an evidence-based model to reduce recidivism and support women to successfully transition into society.
Lighthouse Foundation: Housing young women escaping forced and early marriage
Lighthouse provides safe housing, therapeutic care and practical support for girls and young women escaping early and forced marriage. This project will support the young women and girls as they move into a newly renovated home and help fund essential furnishings. The young women and girls have experienced much trauma and moving home can be a triggering and tough time for them.
Lighthouse Foundation is one of two accommodation providers for women escaping forced and early marriage in Australia. The organisation provides accommodation, live-in carers and therapeutic support to assist the young women in their transition to independence.
Cana Communities: Addressing trauma through art therapy
This project will provide Art Therapy, an intensive therapeutic tool developed by Cana, to help people experiencing chronic homelessness deal with their underlying complex mental health needs.
The pilot program had remarkable outcomes for women with complex needs such as trauma, addiction, developmental disability, mental ill health, low literacy and poor verbal skills. The women showed drastic improvement in mental health and their ability to sustain a tenancy. Funding will assist women and men experiencing chronic homelessness with complex needs and support them into housing.
Sisters of Charity Foundation: Modern Slavery Transitional Housing Program
This project provides survivors of modern slavery with long term housing and tailored support. The project is in partnership with The Salvation Army’s Trafficking and Slavery Safe House and Salvo’s Housing. The program supports survivors who have gained employment and wish to become independent, to move into the rental market. The program helps survivors find housing, assists them in setting up their home and subsidises rent until they are ready to take over the lease.
WA Alliance to End Homelessness: Permanent and Supportive Housing Model Development
The Permanent and Supportive Housing Model Development will accelerate efforts to reduce chronic homelessness by developing a demand model and illustrate the cost benefit of providing housing and support for people experiencing chronic homelessness.
House of Welcome: Women’s Pathway Out Package
The project will directly address the barriers to housing faced by refugee women and women seeking asylum through the delivery of an intensive, wraparound model of support and safe and stable housing. The program includes mentorship, education and employment pathways.
