For women seeking asylum or living on temporary visas, escaping violence or instability does not always lead to immediate safety and security.
Visa conditions can restrict access to income support, social housing, healthcare, employment, and other essential services. Women may be forced to choose between remaining in an unsafe situation and facing homelessness without the financial resources or support networks needed to begin again.
These pressures can be even greater for mothers caring for children. The cost of rent, food, transport, medication, and childcare can quickly become unmanageable, while uncertainty about visa status makes it difficult to plan for the future.
Without secure accommodation, women can face ongoing instability at a time when they are also navigating trauma, legal processes, financial hardship, and responsibility for their children.
The Women’s Supported Accommodation Program provides secure housing and holistic, trauma-informed support for women seeking asylum or living on temporary visas, many of whom have experienced domestic and family violence.
Run by House of Welcome, the program combines stable accommodation with individual casework, financial assistance, employment mentoring, and support to access health, education, and community services.
Each woman develops a case plan shaped around her circumstances, priorities, and goals. By addressing housing, financial security, employment, health, and wellbeing together, the program supports women in rebuilding their confidence and moving towards greater independence.
Mary Ward International supports this work as part of its commitment to women’s dignity, economic security, and right to shape their own futures.
Women and single-parent households are provided with safe, stable accommodation while they work towards longer-term housing. Living in a secure home gives participants the time and stability needed to recover, develop tenancy skills, manage household responsibilities, and plan for independent living.
Each participant develops a personalised case plan covering areas such as housing, health, employment, education, financial security, and family wellbeing. Plans are reviewed regularly so support can respond as circumstances and priorities change.
Weekly employment mentoring helps women prepare for work, identify suitable opportunities, develop job-readiness skills, and navigate education or training pathways.
This support recognises that employment can provide more than income. It can strengthen confidence, connection, and the ability to make independent choices.
The program provides financial support for urgent needs, including rent, food, transport, and medication.
This assistance helps women manage immediate pressures while continuing to work towards longer-term stability by providing practical guidance on budgeting, rental agreements, household costs, and managing money safely.
Your donation can help provide safe accommodation, intensive casework, employment mentoring, financial education, and essential assistance for women and children seeking stability in Sydney.
By supporting the Women’s Supported Accommodation Program, you are helping women move beyond crisis and build futures shaped by greater safety, dignity, and choice.
Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible in Australia.
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