For many women and children escaping domestic and family violence, homelessness is hidden behind temporary arrangements, unstable housing and difficult choices made in the interest of safety.
New research commissioned by St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria highlights the growing connection between housing stress, rising living costs and the inability to leave unsafe homes. The findings point to a broader crisis affecting not only individuals and families, but workplaces and communities as well.
Many Australians say they would struggle to leave an unsafe living situation because they could not afford the financial consequences.
Most people surveyed believe rising housing costs and broader cost-of-living pressures are making it harder for people experiencing violence to escape. Many said they would struggle to secure safe and affordable housing quickly, while some reported they would have nowhere safe to go at all.
The research reinforces what frontline organisations have long observed: women and children fleeing violence are among the largest groups experiencing homelessness in Australia.
But unlike rough sleeping, this form of homelessness is often less visible.
It can mean living in cars, moving between couches, staying in unsafe temporary accommodation or remaining in dangerous situations because there are no realistic alternatives.
The findings also reveal how deeply the issue affects workplaces.
Most Australians believe leaving an unsafe home would significantly disrupt a person’s ability to work. Yet many employees would not feel comfortable disclosing domestic and family violence to their employer, and few people feel confident supporting a colleague experiencing abuse.
This gap between awareness and action is becoming harder for organisations to ignore.
There is growing public expectation that employers and business leaders should play a more active role in supporting staff affected by domestic and family violence. For many organisations, that goes beyond workplace policies and into broader conversations about housing, financial security and employee wellbeing.
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria says the issue requires both practical support and visible leadership.
The organisation is calling on business leaders to help fund accommodation and frontline services for women, children and LGBTQIA+ people escaping violence. The goal is not only to provide emergency support, but to create longer-term pathways to stability and safety.
Many people cannot leave unsafe homes because they cannot afford to.
The research reflects a broader shift in how homelessness is understood. Increasingly, homelessness is being recognised not only as a housing issue, but as a consequence of financial pressure, social inequality and limited access to support.
For women and children experiencing violence, access to safe housing can determine whether escape is possible at all.
And for employers, community organisations and policymakers alike, the message is becoming harder to overlook: housing insecurity and domestic violence are deeply connected, and addressing one requires confronting the other.
Read also: Under One Roof – We gave a homeless mother cash. Here’s what happened.
Ritchelle is Content Team Manager at Akolade, producing stories for Australia's not-for-profit sector at Third Sector.
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