National homelessness data consistently shows family and domestic violence as the most common reason women seek help from specialist homelessness services in Australia. For many, the choice isn't between a good home and a bad one. It's between staying somewhere unsafe or having nowhere to go at all.
Crisis accommodation is often full, temporary, or a long way from support networks, school, and work. The Safe Housing Fund exists to close that gap, funding the immediate, practical things that make leaving possible and staying gone sustainable.
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's most recent national report on specialist homelessness services.
Of everyone who sought help from a specialist homelessness service in Australia last year, 2 in 5 had experienced family and domestic violence, the single largest client group.
Roughly 1 in 3 requests for short-term or emergency accommodation went unmet, most often because there was simply nowhere safe available.
people were assisted by homelessness services after experiencing family and domestic violence in the 2024/25 financial year.
of those clients were parents raising children on their own after leaving.
Source: AIHW, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2024/25
Money given to the Safe Housing Fund is kept separate from Under a Roof's general housing programs and goes only toward this fund's purpose. Here is how it's allocated.
Immediate, safe accommodation for women and children leaving a violent home, including motel and refuge placements when a bed isn't available.
Covering the bond, upfront rent, and moving costs that stand between a crisis placement and a stable, independent home.
Help finding and keeping longer-term housing, plus counselling and case support so people aren't forced back into an unsafe situation.
Tax deductibility, anonymity, and how funds are distributed: answered on our FAQ page.
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