Marymead CatholicCare secures $3.5M grant to support domestic violence survivors

(L-R) Sue Webeck, CEO Domestic Violence Crisis Service, Anne Kirman, CEO Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn and Selina Walker, Yerrabi Yurwang  Chair

Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn will receive $3.5 million in Federal Government funding to deliver up to seven dwellings under the Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program (CTAP), it was announced today.

CEO Anne Kirwan said the project, in collaboration with Yerrabi Yurwang Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation and the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS), would be a lifeline for women and children escaping domestic and family violence who need safe, secure, and dignified accommodation.

“Sadly, more than one woman is killed every week by a partner or former partner in Australia,” she said.

“One woman is hospitalised every three hours as a result of domestic family violence. The statistics in Australia are dire.”

The grant funding will be used to purchase seven homes in the ACT, increasing the supply of crisis and transitional housing to the social services sector in Canberra.

“Our partners from the Domestic Violence Crisis Service will provide specialist guidance and support, including advice, risk assessments, security upgrades, safety planning, legal supports, referrals and advocacy,” Mrs Kirwan said.

“This grant is a small step forward in increasing the supply of housing options to our sector, but we know so much more needs to be done. Initiatives such as the CTAPS fund demonstrate the desire for systemic change and ensuring that every woman and child who seeks safety can access supports that are culturally safe and that there is somewhere for them to go.”

DVCS CEO Sue Webeck said the grant offered a chance to change the trajectory of people’s lives.

“This isn’t just a number. This isn’t just seven dwellings. This is an immeasurable amount of impact in our community and lives changed,” she said.

“We often talk a lot about women and children escaping violence, but what we know is when they make a decision to leave, they haven’t escaped – the trauma and the impact that is felt by that woman and those children can last an incredibly long time and the systems that become involved in that family’s lives, once they decide to leave, are unimaginable. These new properties will actually create a place for people to heal.

Yerrabi Chair Selina Walker said statistics showed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were more likely to experience family and domestic violence.

“Clearly, what we are doing is not working, and if we change nothing, nothing will change, so this is the first step towards a positive change for our families,” she said.

“These houses do create immeasurable safety and change here in the community. In the ACT, as across the nation, there is a huge housing crisis, which does not help those experiencing family violence. We need to build up a suite of houses to be able to meet that need.”

Mrs Kirwan said MCCG would contribute another half million to the fund from its own reserves, with the aim of purchasing the seven homes within the next six months.