Women’s Supported Accommodation
Partner | House of Welcome
Location | Sydney, Australia
Overview
The House of Welcome’s Women’s Supported Accommodation project provides safe and secure accommodation and wraparound support for vulnerable women seeking asylum and who would otherwise be at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
People seeking asylum in Australia are not eligible for social or community housing and rely on organisations like the House of Welcome to provide transitional accommodation.
The project integrates several House of Welcome services to provide a holistic person-centred approach. The project aims to deliver an intensive casework model that can be implemented as part of a program that includes safe and secure housing, an initial period of financial and food security assistance (if eligible), and access to a weekly employment program.
Challenges
The challenges faced by the women who participate in this project are acute and range beyond the stresses and implications of the refugee journey. Referrals include women who have experienced family and domestic violence or sexual and gender-based violence, as well as women who have a history of mental health issues. Many fear that reporting violence will have consequences for their protection, visa applications, or ability to remain in Australia.
Furthermore, refugees and people seeking asylum face additional barriers to stable and adequately remunerated employment, including lack of local work experience or referees and have little understanding of Australian workplace culture and processes.
Impact
This project specifically aims to:
- Reduce barriers for participants to access employment and job opportunities.
- Increase participant’s knowledge of Australian tenancy processes and responsibilities.
- Increase participant’s capacity to enter the private rental market.
- Safely transition participants from the program after 12 months.
Activities
The Women’s Supported Accommodation project provides:
- Access to safe housing.
- Intensive casework with the goal of gaining employment and finding private accommodation.
- Financial and foodbank support, if eligible.
- Enrolment into the House of Welcome’s specialised employment program, ‘Empowered to Work’, a job-readiness program aimed at mentoring people into training, employment or work experience.
- Access to housing transition support.
