Nearly one in 10 Australians say they would have nowhere to go if they were forced to leave their home due to family violence, while 75 per cent say upfront rental costs like bond, rent in advance and moving expenses, would stop them from leaving quickly.
The new figures come from St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria, with the data highlighting how the increasing cost of living is making it harder for women and children to escape unsafe family homes.
According to the research, 60 per cent of Australians believed they could not confidently afford to leave their home immediately if their safety depended on it, while 68 per cent of people say they would struggle to find safe, affordable housing within a month.
“Women’s homelessness doesn’t look the way most people expect,” St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria CEO Charlie Spendlove says.
“It hides in cars, on couches, in unsafe temporary arrangements – and because it’s hidden, it’s easier to miss and easier to underfund. This research shows that the cost-of-living crisis is making an impossible situation worse.”
The research also taps into the impact of domestic and family violence on a person’s ability to work, and the responsibility workplaces have to support their teams. It shows 85 per cent of Australians agree that needing to leave an unsafe home due to violence would significantly disrupt a person’s ability to work, but over half of people would not feel comfortable disclosing domestic and family violence to their employer.
And only 18 per cent of those who had observed or suspected a colleague was experiencing domestic violence knew how to support them.
Nearly three in four Australians (74%) agree that workplaces and business leaders should do more to support employees experiencing domestic and family violence.
More than half say more leadership action is specifically needed to address homelessness linked to violence.
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria is calling on business leaders and CEOs to register for the 2026 Vinnies Victoria CEO Sleepout, coming up in June.
“We’re encouraging business leaders to act beyond updating workplace policies. We’re fundraising to build new accommodation for women and children escaping DFV to bridge the gap between crisis and long-term stability. We need more leaders to help make this goal a reality,” Spendlove said.
“We aim to house – and support to rebuild stable and safe lives – up to an extra 20 families escaping DFV every year, which is not insignificant. This is about immediate and generational change.”