Tasmanian women on public housing list are experiencing family violence

More than 520 Tasmanian women on the public housing waiting list are experiencing family violence, Labor says, as women going to shelters are being turned away. LATEST >>

More than 520 Tassie women on the public housing waiting list are experiencing family violence. Photo: Debrah Novak/The Daily Examiner

More than 520 Tasmanian women on the public housing waiting list are experiencing family violence, Labor says.

Labor’s women spokesperson Michelle O’Byrne said data provided from the government showed 523 people or 11.6 per cent of the 4504 applicants “languishing” on the waiting list were women who identified family violence as a factor in their need for social housing.

Housing Minister Guy Barnett conceded “we need to do more to support women in domestic violence situations”.

He said the government had just released its five-year family violence action plan and was doubling the number of places available for women in Launceston and “increasing resources in Hobart and elsewhere”.

“There’s a lot more to do, we have a big plan, it’s happening, there’s a lot more ahead of us,” Mr Barnett said.

Michelle O'Byrne. Picture: Richard Jupe

Ms O’Byrne said women going to shelters were being turned away and said the data did not show how many children were affected.

“We know that women are sleeping on couches, we know that women are returning to violent situations because this government isn’t meeting their needs,” she said.

“The most dangerous time in a relationship is the point where you leave your abuser. Can you imagine how dangerous it is when you are forced to go back?

“It’s the ability to get into sustainable long term housing that allows you to be safe, but also allows the services to help you heal from what can have been in many cases, an utterly horrific traumatic experience.”

Launceston women’s shelter chair Elise Whitmore said 86 per cent of women seeking shelter were turned away.

“People are waiting generally 37 days to get in,” she said.

“It’s awful that we are not able to accommodate them. We have another 15 units opening up in February next year but we know from the data that we’ve got, that it’s simply not going to be enough.”

Ms Whitmore said most women were staying at shelters for up to six months.

“Because there’s nowhere else for them to go, they either transition to a family or friend, they might be incarcerated, or they may go back to a perpetrator,” she said.

Ms O’Byrne said the demand for homelessness services in Tasmania was greater than any other state.

“Many women are remaining in shelters and the shelters are able to help less women because there’s simply nowhere else to go,” she said.

In 2020-21, the Hobart women’s shelter reported 900 women and children or 76 per cent of those seeking accommodation were turned away because the shelter was full.

It said the figures were more than double the national number of women turned away from crisis accommodation.