Port Stephens looks set to become home to its first government-funded domestic violence refuge.
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Hume Community Housing Limited in Port Stephens has been included in the NSW Government's rollout of funding to establish 39 new refuges across the state.
Housing Plus and Compass Housing Services have also receiving funding under the NSW Government's Core and Cluster program to establish a refuge each in Maitland and Newcastle.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said once delivered, the three new refuges will "scale up" vital support for women and children.
"These homes provide greater capacity in the Hunter for safe, private, and independent living spaces for victim survivors and their children," Mr Martin said.
"Until we can remove the scourge of domestic and family violence from our society, it is crucial we have supports in place for victims.
"These new refuges are funded through the largest investment in domestic and family violence supports in NSW history and will provide long-term infrastructure to support women and children escaping domestic and family violence."
The Examiner has reached out to Hume Community Housing for comment.
Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children in NSW.
In 2020-2021, 39 per cent of all people who accessed Specialist Homelessness Services in NSW had reported experiencing domestic or family violence.
Figures from Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Service shows a marked increase in homeless rates in the past three years, and those who have experienced DV.
Between January 1 and December 31, 2019 the service saw 384 clients. Of those, 125 reported being homeless due to DV.
These figures almost doubled in just the first nine months of 2022.
Between January 1 and September 1 the service saw 571 clients. The service reported that of those, 165 were homeless due to DV.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington welcomed the news that a refuge would be established in the electorate.
"For more than a decade, our community has been in desperate need of a refuge for women and children escaping domestic violence," she said.
"Back in 2016, our local police pulled a single-bed safe haven together with their own hands, because the NSW Liberal government had done nothing.
"I've been fighting for a refuge for years, because women and children escaping domestic violence in Port Stephens, have had very few options, often seeing them stay in unsafe settings.
"Thank goodness for the hardworking teams at Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Service and Hume Housing, who have worked in partnership to get this across the line.
"Now the NSW Liberal government must make good on its promise as soon as possible - we simply can't afford to wait any longer."
Minister for Women's Safety and the Prevention of Domestic Family and Sexual Violence, Natalie Ward, said the rollout of new refuges follows successful trials in Orange and Griffith.
"These 39 new refuges will be designed in the new Core and Cluster model which is an innovative model that provides independent living and access to critical services such as counselling, legal assistance and further education," Mrs Ward said.
"Additionally, we have doubled funding for capacity building projects, from $2.2 million to $4.4 million, to support service providers in the delivery of focused and culturally sensitive domestic and family violence services."
Minister for Women, Bronnie Taylor, said 20 of the 39 new refuges will be located in regional NSW.
"The locations of the Core and Cluster refuges will be in areas where there is high unmet demand for services, including regional and rural areas, and will support 2,900 more women and children each year who have escaped domestic abuse," Mrs Taylor said.
More to come.
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