A CENTACARE family support expert says a dire lack of safe and available housing for women and children exposed to domestic violence is contributing to Queensland’s ongoing crisis.
The state’s domestic violence rate has doubled in the last five years, with a surge to almost 500 domestic violence incidents a day.
“The current situation is really quite dire,” Centacare Specialist Family and Support Services general manager Anick de Réland said.
A Centacare employee for the last 15 years, Ms de Réland has worked on the frontlines supporting vulnerable families across south east Queensland.
“It is not always possible for women and their families to move away from a perpetrator,” she said.
“Women are waiting for months or even years to secure suitable public housing, particularly in the area that they’re currently residing.
“It can take six to 12 months for clients to obtain a private rental.
“If we could have more housing for them and they could move, you would think logically … it would reduce the number of domestic violence instances.”
Ms de Réland said women and families who experienced abuse often found it difficult to move, leaving them vulnerable to repeat abuse.
She said moving from their local area posed financial and support issues, and sometimes mental health issues too.
It might force a woman to leave her job and shift children from their current schools.
The murder of Hannah Clarke and her children has helped change Queensland’s public conversation around control and abuse in relationships, but domestic violence has continued to rise.
Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll expressed shock at the latest “awful statistics” – 171,750 domestic violence incidents in the 2022-23 financial year – or about 470.5 a day – compared with 138,928 in 2020-21 and 90,000 for 2017-18.
In the last 12 months, 16 people have died, there has been a 30 per cent rise in cases of strangulation cases, close to 60,000 breaches of DV orders and more than 146,000 calls for help.
Police are also being swamped with domestic violence calls for help, with a 30 per cent increase in one year.
“In my policing history, I have never seen such a massive increase of percentages in one year – in any crime class,” Ms Carroll said.
“I was shocked. They are awful statistics.”
She said it was clear more people were abusing their partners.
Ms de Réland said new accommodation initiatives were needed if women and families were to be protected from perpetrators.
“A lot of women are sleeping in their car with their children,” she said.
“So it would be good if we had certain caravan parks dedicated to domestic violence victims – so they could park their cars and have some form of habitation instead of just sleeping in a car with kids.”
Ms de Réland has offered other accommodation fixes such as repurposing vacant properties including disused aged care facilities and hotels.
“Could we use those buildings to assist women and their children?” she said.
“Another solution would be to appeal to people who own multiple residences or investment properties.
“Those people could consider dedicating one of their houses to women and families escaping DV.
“They could make the rent more affordable and working on a plan to help those women get their life together and then move on.”
Ms de Réland said another way of helping was to support Centacare with donations to deliver its vital work.
“A lot of people who are well endowed financially do not think about the difference they could make in someone’s life,” she said.
Centacare practitioners provide crisis intervention, counselling, safety planning and court support for women.
They also provide essential services, including post-crisis housing and long-term case management and support.
