Save Women's Homelessness Services in Sydney

Save Women's Homelessness Services in Sydney

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Women's Homelessness Services in NSW are under threat of closure. 

Stepping Out Housing Program, B Miles, and Women and Girl's Emergency Centre may lose their funding, leaving women at risk of homelessness with nowhere to go. 

If the NSW Government's Going Home, Staying Home (GHSH) reform continues as planned, small independent homelesness services - especially those for women - will close. Some already have.  Women’s homelessness is hidden and consistently underfunded. Women are less likely to sleep rough but will often couch surf, stay with perpetrators of violence or stay in unstable accommodation. Many of these women cannot ...

Women's Homelessness Services in NSW are under threat of closure. 

Stepping Out Housing Program, B Miles, and Women and Girl's Emergency Centre may lose their funding, leaving women at risk of homelessness with nowhere to go. 

If the NSW Government's Going Home, Staying Home (GHSH) reform continues as planned, small independent homelesness services - especially those for women - will close. Some already have.  Women’s homelessness is hidden and consistently underfunded. Women are less likely to sleep rough but will often couch surf, stay with perpetrators of violence or stay in unstable accommodation. Many of these women cannot "go home" or "stay home".

Contact the Minister for Community Services, Gabrielle Upton, to let her know you want these women's homelessness services to have ongoing and stable funding.

UPDATE: 

Detour House and Young People's Refuge (YPR) are also under risk of closure due to the GHSH reform. 

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Premier Baird and Minister Upton: fund women's homelessness services

Sign this petition and let Premier Mike Baird and the Minister for Community Services, Gabrielle Upton, know that you support women's homelessness services, and want them to have ongoing and stable funding. 

 

Dear Minister Gabrielle Upton,

We, the undersigned, ask that the NSW Government continue to fund these women's homelessness services: Stepping Out Housing Program; B Miles; Detour House; Young People's Refuge and Women and Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC).

B Miles Women’s Foundation is a homelessness service for women with mental health issues. They provide housing, support and recovery services when they are most needed.

Stepping Out Housing Program provides housing and an intensive support service for women who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

WAGEC is an independent service that provides outreach, a drop in centre and case management for homeless women in the Sydney Inner City region.

Detour House has provided rehabilitation and case management support to women who have experienced drug and or alcohol dependence for the past 30 years.

Young People's Refuge (YPR) is one of the oldest youth services in NSW. For last 20 years YPR has provided gender specific services to girls and young women aged 13 to 17 years of age who are homeless.

A homeless person has a life expectancy of 47 compared to the average of 82 across Australia, according to the World Bank 2011.

Over 60% of children accommodated in homelessness services in Australia have witnessed or been victims of domestic or family violence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). Every day 2 in 3 children who request immediate accommodation are turned away from homelessness services (Homelessness and Children, Homelessness Australia).

Women's specialist homelessness services offer programs that have been established for women over many years. The loss of the expertise will cost the health and community services system more over time, leading to increased hospital admissions, assaults, suicides, re-offending and re-incarceration, continuation of drug and alcohol addictions and child safety issues.

Women should have options regarding services. Vulnerable women and children often look for services located away from where they were living as they are escaping violent or unstable situations. Given that women are most at risk immediately after leaving a violent partner locating women's shelters in the city provides anonymity makes good safety sense.

Survivors of domestic violence and child sexual assault, and mentally ill women, deserve quality homelessness services with experienced specialists. Stepping Out, WAGEC, Detour House, Young People's Refuge and B Miles provide these services, and closing their doors will take resources from women who are already suffering.

Minister Upton, please act to ensure ongoing and secure funding.
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