1. No category

29 April 2015
Media release
Women experiencing family violence trapped by lack of
affordable housing, says peak
Leaving family violence is made even harder for women due to a shortage of affordable housing, says
Victoria’s peak body for homelessness, which today released data showing that there is only one Melbourne
suburb – Melton - where a working mother could afford to rent a two-bedroom house on her single income.
“Women who leave family violence are faced with the daunting task of finding somewhere they can afford to
live on a reduced household income, and often with children to support. Many find themselves completely
shut out of the private rental market, or paying far more than they can afford and at risk of homelessness,”
said Jenny Smith, CEO, Council to Homeless Persons.
The DHS data shows that a Victorian woman earning the average working wage of $842* per week would be
paying 45% of her income to rent the average suburban two-bedroom house (Melbourne suburban median
rent = $378/week, DHS Rent Report).
There is only one suburb in all of Melbourne (Melton, median rent = $245/week) where a single woman
earning the average wage could afford to rent a two-bedroom house without being pushed into financial
stress.
CHP’s submission to the Royal Commission into Family Violence will argue that a shortage of affordable
housing deters women from leaving violence and keeps them homeless when they do leave.
“Often people ask the question ‘why didn’t she leave?’. This data begs the question ‘where could she go?’ ,”
said Ms Smith.
“Single working women face an uphill battle to find an affordable home. For those who are out of the
workforce, looking after children, the situation is dire with just 3-in-100 rental lettings affordable.
“The crisis and refuge system for women and children fleeing family violence is bottlenecked, because even
after escaping violence, there’s often nowhere affordable to go,” said Ms Smith.
Downsizing to an apartment provides little relief; a woman on an average income in Victoria would be paying
43% of her income to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne
Family violence continues to be the number one driver of homelessness. Last year, 60,000 women sought
assistance from homelessness services because of family violence.
Median rent for
a two-bedroom
house (DHS Rent
report)
Proportion
of income
spent on
rent
Mel ton
$245
Avg weekly Victorian female
wage (Averaged over parttime and full-time)
$842
29%
$597
Werri bee-Hoppers Crossing
$270
$842
32%
$572
$270
$842
32%
$572
$275
$842
33%
$567
$280
$842
33%
$562
$280
$842
33%
$562
Melbourne suburb
Pa kenham
Ha s tings-Flinders
St Al ba ns-Deer Pa rk
Suns hine
$ left over
1
$280
$842
33%
$562
$280
$842
33%
$562
$290
$842
34%
$552
$290
$842
34%
$552
$290
$842
34%
$552
$295
$842
35%
$547
Na rre Wa rren-Hampton Pa rk
$295
$842
35%
$547
Nobl e Pa rk
$298
$842
35%
$544
$300
$842
36%
$542
$300
$842
36%
$542
$300
$842
36%
$542
$300
$842
36%
$542
$300
$842
36%
$542
$300
$842
36%
$542
Ya rra Ra nges
$300
$842
36%
$542
Sea ford-Ca rrum Downs
$300
36%
$542
$305
$842
36%
$537
$310
$842
37%
$532
$310
$842
37%
$532
$310
$842
37%
$532
$315
$842
37%
$527
Sydenham
$320
$842
38%
$522
Croydon-Li lydale
$320
$842
38%
$522
$320
$842
38%
$522
$320
$842
38%
$522
$325
$842
39%
$517
$330
$842
39%
$512
Fra nkston
Cra nbourne
Sunbury
Whi ttl esea
Da ndenong North-Endeavour Hills
Da ndenong
Broa dmeadows-Roxburgh Park
Cra i gieburn
Oa k Pa rk-Glenroy-Fawkner
Mi l l Park-Epping
Thoma stown-Lalor
Ba ys water
Gl a dstone Park-Tullamarine
Al tona
Res ervoir
Boronia
Spri ngvale
Ferntree Gully
Berwi ck
Ri ngwood
Wes t Footscray
Bundoora-GreensboroughHurs tbridge
$842
$842
$330
39%
$512
Hei delberg-Heidelberg West
$330
$842
39%
$512
Mt El i za-Mornington-Mt Ma rtha
$330
$842
39%
$512
$340
$842
40%
$502
Kei l or East-Avondale Heights
Cl a yton
Donca ster East-Donvale
Nuna wading-Mitcham
Vermont-Forest Hill-Burwood East
$350
$842
42%
$492
$350
$842
42%
$492
$350
$842
42%
$492
42%
$492
$350
$842
42%
$492
$350
$842
42%
$492
El tha m-Research-Montmorency
$350
$842
42%
$492
Wa nti rna-Scoresby
$350
$842
42%
$492
As pendale-Chelsea-Carrum
Pa s coe Vale-Coburg North
$350
$842
2
$360
$842
43%
$482
$360
$842
43%
$482
$360
$842
43%
$482
$360
$842
43%
$482
$365
$842
43%
$477
$378
$842
45%
$464
Pres ton
$378
$842
45%
$464
Foots cray
$380
$842
45%
$462
$380
$842
45%
$462
$385
$842
46%
$457
$390
$842
46%
$452
$390
$842
46%
$452
$390
$842
46%
$452
$395
$842
47%
$447
Chel tenham
$395
$842
47%
$447
Burwood-Ashburton
$400
48%
$442
$400
$842
48%
$442
$420
$842
50%
$422
$420
$842
50%
$422
$430
$842
51%
$412
$435
$842
52%
$407
Wi l liamstown
$440
$842
52%
$402
Ya rra vi lle-Seddon
$440
$842
52%
$402
$440
$842
52%
$402
$440
$842
52%
$402
$443
$842
53%
$399
$445
$842
53%
$397
$450
$842
53%
$392
$450
$842
53%
$392
$450
$842
53%
$392
Kew
$460
$842
55%
$382
Ha mpton-Beaumaris
$460
$842
55%
$382
$463
$842
55%
$379
$468
$842
56%
$374
$475
$842
56%
$367
$488
$842
58%
$354
$488
$842
58%
$354
$495
$842
59%
$347
$498
$842
59%
$344
59%
$342
Bl a ckburn
Box Hi l l
Cha dstone-Oakleigh
Gl en Waverley-Mulgrave
Bul leen-Templestowe-Doncaster
Mount Wa verley
Es s endon
Mentone-Parkdale-Mordialloc
Murrumbeena-Hughesdale
Newport-Spotswood
Coburg-Pa scoe Vale South
Ba l wyn
Iva nhoe-Ivanhoe East
Bentl eigh
Moonee Ponds-Ascot Va le
Wes t Brunswick
Ca rnegie
Fa i rfield-Alphington
Thornbury
Ca ul field
Fl emington-Kensington
Ca nterbury-Surrey Hills-Mont Albert
Bri ghton East
Ma l vern East
Ca mberwell-Glen Iris
Bruns wick
North Mel bourne-West Melbourne
Ca rl ton-Parkville
El s ternwick
Northcote
Ea s t Hawthorn
Ea s t Brunswick
$500
$842
$842
3
$520
$842
62%
$322
$520
$842
62%
$322
$530
$842
63%
$312
$530
$842
63%
$312
$540
$842
64%
$302
$545
$842
65%
$297
Ea s t St Ki lda
$550
$842
65%
$292
Pra hra n-Windsor
$550
$842
65%
$292
$550
$842
65%
$292
$550
$842
65%
$292
$550
$842
65%
$292
Ma l vern
Al bert Pa rk-Middle Park-West St
Ki l da
$550
$842
65%
$292
67%
$282
Toora k
$563
$842
67%
$279
$565
$842
67%
$277
$580
$842
69%
$262
$588
$842
70%
$254
$595
$842
71%
$247
Col l ingwood-Abbotsford
Fi tzroy North-Clifton Hill
Ca rl ton North
Port Mel bourne
Bri ghton
Ha wthorn
Ri chmond-Burnley
South Melbourne
St Ki l da
Fi tzroy
Arma dale
South Ya rra
El wood
$842
$560
Media enquiries Lanie Harris, lanie@chp.org.au or 0418 552 377
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