A new women’s refuge has opened in Western Sydney by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, offering crisis accommodation for women over the age of 45.
The new, purpose-built refuge is one of the only services in NSW that provides support specifically targeted to older women who are seeking refuge from domestic and family violence.
The refuge has been redeveloped with funding from the NSW government and will provide trauma-informed, wrap-around services for women, coordinated by caseworkers. The building will provide independent living for five women and is pet-friendly.
St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO, Yolanda Saiz, said demand for the charity’s domestic and family violence services has nearly doubled over the last five years.
“We believe that there is a need for specialised, tailored services for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. For older women, the experience is often coupled with extreme social isolation and disconnection from friends, family and the broader community,” Saiz said on Monday.
“Often the women are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background and because of their age, limited English, minimal family support networks and past trauma can find it extremely difficult to re-establish themselves in the community.”
Saiz thanked the NSW Government and Cumberland and Parramatta council for the support to make it happen.
NSW Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson said secure and stable housing is critical to promoting the safety and wellbeing of women experiencing violence.
“The connection between domestic violence and homelessness is undeniable, with domestic and family violence being the main reason for women seeking support from refuges and other specialist homelessness services,” Jackson said.
“Women escaping domestic and family violence often have very few housing options, especially if they have children or pets. We know that thousands of women become homeless or return to violent homes because they are unable to find alternative places to stay.”
Feature Image: Yolanda Saiz, Vinnies NSW, Suzy Pace, Vinnies NSW and Minister Rose Jackson.