Safe and Equal is pleased today’s Victorian Budget does not include any anticipated cuts to the specialist family violence sector, with the majority of lapsing funding renewed on a short-term basis. 

This includes continued funding to support a whole-of-system approach to identifying, assessing and managing family violence risk using the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (MARAM). 

We are also pleased to see a focus on supporting children and young people experiencing family violence, including the continuation of the Children in Refuge program funding. 

“It’s certainly a relief to see many crucial programs renewed in today’s budget; however, it’s currently unclear if some of these have been refunded to the level they have been previously,” said Tania Farha, Safe and Equal CEO. 

“And while no major cuts is good news, we’ve expressed for a long time that more is needed to meaningfully address family and gender-based violence in our state – specifically the crippling demand we are seeing for frontline family violence services.” 

“These services save lives; yet have been under-resourced and stretched to their limits for far too long,” said Ms Farha. 

Family and gender-based violence remains a critical issue for Victorians. This year, at least seven Victorian women have been killed in preventable acts of domestic violence – one of the highest rates in Australia.  

Beyond these tragic deaths, the number of family violence incidents attended by Victoria Police increased 11.3 per cent between 2023 and 2024 – an all-time high for our state. 

“The prevalence of family and gender-based violence both in Victoria and across the country is beyond a crisis, it’s a catastrophe,” said Ms Farha. 

“If we are serious about addressing this, we cannot afford to go backwards or to tread water – we need increased, sustained and secure funding for our sector into the future.” 

Safe and Equal is calling on the Victorian Government to urgently increase investment in frontline specialist family violence services, including those that provide interventions for men/people using violence, alongside primary prevention and early intervention initiatives. 

“We welcome the Victorian Government’s significant commitment to prevention with multicultural and faith communities in this budget; however, disappointingly there appears to be a reduction in primary prevention funding overall,” said Ms Farha. 

“We need to see an increased focus in the space, alongside long-term investment – because short-term, drip-fed funding doesn’t create long-term, permanent change.” 

Safe and Equal is also calling on the Victorian Government to address the ongoing housing crisis for victim survivors by building 7,990 social housing dwellings every year for the next 10 years. 

“Frustratingly, there’s nothing in this budget to address housing for victim survivors of family violence,” said Ms Farha. 

“Family violence remains the leading cause of homelessness for women and children in Victoria. Without access to safe and affordable housing options, many victim survivors are faced with an impossible choice: stay in a violent home or escape and face homelessness. This is completely unacceptable.” 

More broadly, Safe and Equal is aware of a significant amount of funding due to lapse for the family violence sector next year across specialist family violence services and essential primary prevention programs. 

“Now is not the time for the government to take its foot off the accelerator – doing so will lead to more lives lost and deeper harm to victim survivors,” said Ms Farha.  

“So much work has gone into building our state’s response to family violence, and preventing this violence in the future. This work must not only be maintained, but strengthened.”  

“Yes, budgets are tight, but this is not optional. Failing to adequately and sustainably fund our sector into the future will cost lives. We cannot afford to prioritise highways and handcuffs over victim survivors,” said Ms Farha. 

We know there will never be a ‘quick fix’ for these complex issues and that meaningful change takes time. That’s why we need a sustained, comprehensive approach from our state leaders – backed by the investment required – to continue to build a safer future for all Victorians. 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Name: Stephanie Jones, Communications Manager, Safe and Equal 

Email: media@safeandequal.org.au 

Phone: 03 9921 0897

About Safe and Equal 

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, including primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.

(Media release on behalf of the Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance, of which Safe and Equal is a member)

New data released by social services housing advocates paints a grim picture of the scale of the state’s housing crisis and the need to turbocharge the construction of new public and community housing (‘social housing’).

According to modelling commissioned by the Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance from SGS Economics & Planning, Victoria will need to build an extra 377,000 social housing dwellings by 2051 to meet projected total demand from low-income Victorians.

The Alliance has also commissioned research on the social housing needs of family violence victim survivors. The modelling demonstrates that, as a projected bare minimum, victim survivors will require at least 83,000 new social homes by 2051. (This does not encapsulate total demand for victim survivors, which can’t be definitively projected due to inadequate data.) Ahead of next week’s State Budget, the Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance is calling on the Victorian Government to:

• Set a target to build 7,990 new social housing dwellings every year for the next 10 years, as part of a pathway to reach the additional 377,000 new social homes required by 2051.
• Establish a long-term strategy to enable that growth, including direct government investment, grants and measures that require developers to contribute to social housing growth – for example, the introduction of mandatory inclusionary zoning.

Despite Victoria’s landmark four-year Big Housing Build, decades of under-investment in social housing by previous governments has left the state with the lowest proportion of social housing in Australia.

Victoria currently has 86,000 social housing dwellings. This represents 3.1% of the state’s total housing supply. Even after the Big Housing Build, it will be about 3.5% – nowhere near enough to meet demand. In 2021, the national average was 4.5%.

The Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance says the collapse in housing affordability in the private market – set against a backdrop of widening economic inequality – demands a much stronger commitment by the state to grow social housing.

Currently, the Victorian Government has housing targets for the private market, but no targets for social housing.

Without this, we are missing a crucial policy lever, market signal and investment driver.

Adding another 7,990 new social housing properties into the system every year for the next decade will lift the level of social housing as a proportion of all housing in Victoria to 4.5 per cent.

Without that intervention, the SGS Economics & Planning modelling shows the proportion of social housing in Victoria will fall to around 2% by 2051.

The Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance’s full report containing the SGS Economics & Planning data insights and analysis is available at www.vcoss.org.au/growingsocialhousing.

The Victorian Housing Peaks Alliance comprises the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS), Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic), Victorian Public Tenants Association (VPTA), Council to Homeless Persons (CHP), Safe & Equal, Aboriginal Housing Victoria, Tenants Victoria and Justice Connect.

Quotes attributable to VCOSS CEO Juanita Pope:

“Housing is the foundation for a good life and social housing is essential social and economic infrastructure. Strong, sustained investment in growing public housing and community housing should be the number one infrastructure priority for this state. It’s the key to solving our housing crisis and other big societal challenges.”

Quotes attributable to CHIA Vic CEO Sarah Toohey:

“To make sure every Victorian gets the dignity of a safe, affordable home, we need to rebuild our social housing system. We can do this with a clear plan and annual investment, to build the homes we need.”

Quotes attributable to VPTA EO Katelyn Butterss:

“Every Victorian deserves the dignity of having a place to call home and for some, public housing is the only option to achieve this basic human right long-term. However, our public housing system has not grown meaningfully in decades meaning many are left sitting on waiting lists. Social housing, and public housing especially, are key to delivering holistic and affordable housing for everyone. Without a strong social housing system, all other housing issues Australians experience will only get worse.”

Quotes attributable to CHP CEO Deborah Di Natale:

“Every night, tens of thousands of Victorians are forced to sleep in cars, on the streets and in other unsafe conditions. The scale of the dire housing shortage demands bold, sustained action. The Victorian Government must urgently commit to a social housing building blitz to prevent this crisis erupting into a human catastrophe.”

Quotes attributable to Safe & Equal CEO Tania Farha:

“In the midst of this national housing crisis, far too many people experiencing family violence are being forced to choose between staying in violent situations or facing homelessness. The Victorian Government must act urgently and decisively to guarantee safe, affordable, long-term housing for victim survivors escaping domestic violence – because safety and shelter are fundamental human rights, and one should never come at the expense of the other.”

Quotes attributable to Aboriginal Housing Victoria CEO Darren Smith:

“For the Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community, the housing crisis is not new – it’s a deepening of long-standing exclusion. Right now, thousands of First Peoples in Victoria are locked out of safe and secure housing, without targeted investment in building supply and community-led solutions, this crisis will only escalate.”

Quotes attributable to Tenants Victoria CEO Jennifer Beveridge:

“As private rents skyrocket, we need more public and community housing so that everyone can have a stable tenancy in a safe home. That’s why we need to build 7,990 public and community homes a year.”

Quotes attributable to Justice Connect CEO Chris Povey:

“Adequate housing is a basic human right. Justice Connect sees firsthand how the acute shortage of housing is leaving more vulnerable Victorians and their families without a home or on the edge of homelessness. Building more social housing is essential to preventing and ending homelessness in Victoria.”

Australians are being encouraged to take action against family and gender-based violence on Are You Safe at Home? Day this Saturday 10 May. 

Are You Safe at Home? Day is part of a national initiative developed by Safe and Equal to break down the fear and stigma associated with talking about family violence. 

The campaign, now in its fifth year, provides clear information about the signs to look out for, what supports are available, and how to safely start a conversation if you’re concerned someone you know is experiencing abuse. 

“Family violence is an issue that will impact all Australians at some point, whether directly or indirectly, and many people experiencing abuse will never reach out to police or access support services on their own,” said Tania Farha, CEO of Safe and Equal, Victoria’s family violence peak body. 

“It’s really the people closest to them – their friends, family, neighbours and even work colleagues – who will see things that others don’t, and who are in a unique position to offer help.”  

The prevalence of family and gender-based violence in Australia remains disturbingly high.  

In 2024, at least 101 women in Australia were killed in preventable acts of violence. 2025 is following a similar trajectory, with at least 24 women already murdered this year. While these numbers are shocking, they are only the reported figures. Many deaths remain unreported and unrecognised as family violence, including many missing and murdered First Nations women – meaning the true number of women and children killed is likely far greater. 

Beyond these tragedies, an estimated 20 per cent of people in Australia report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15. 

In Victoria, the number of family violence incidents attended by police has reached an all-time high, increasing 11.3 per cent from 94,166 in 2023 to 104,786 in 2024.  

“The prevalence of family violence in this country is not a crisis – it’s a catastrophe,” said Ms Farha. 

“And while there’s no ‘quick fix’, we do know addressing this requires a whole-of-community approach – from the highest levels of government to every community and individual in this country.”  

Unsure where to start? Ask, listen and believe. 

It can be confronting to know someone in your life might be experiencing abuse, said Ms Farha, and many people are scared they’ll say or do the wrong thing. 

“We often hear from people who have concerns about a loved one, but are unsure of how to broach the issue,” said Ms Farha. 

“There’s a very real fear of offending someone, pushing them away, or putting them in danger. We want people to know that with the right approach, asking the question and offering support is always the best option.” 

“This is why we’ve developed “ask, listen, believe” as a checklist of sorts.” 

Ms Farha says asking someone if they are safe, listening without judgement, and believing someone when they disclose abuse can make a world of difference. 

“It’s a simple but powerful act of letting someone know: ‘I see you, I’m here for you, I’m ready to help you when you need’,” said Ms Farha. 

“There’s no expectation for you to be an expert,” said Cathy Oddie, a survivor advocate.  

“Start by believing the victim survivor, be non-judgemental about their choices to remain in the relationship or not, check-in on their immediate safety and direct them to where they can get appropriate support.”  

“Doing something as simple as providing a contact number for a service is like throwing a life preserver ring to someone who is drowning,” said Cathy. 

The Are You Safe at Home? website contains a suite of resources to help, including a conversation guide, animated video series in 15 community languages, and a support service directory for every state and territory in Australia. 

“The message we want to get out to people is that while anyone can experience family violence, anyone can help end it,” said Ms Farha. 

“Whether you’re worried about a friend, family member, a neighbour, or someone you work with – we’re encouraging you to start the conversation.” 

“Trust your gut,” said Cathy. 

“We often think that as one person, we can’t do much, but in my lived experience, that is incorrect. When people have the courage to speak out about family violence, they become part of a powerful collective movement and an unstoppable ripple effect of change.” 

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Name: Stephanie Jones, Communications Manager, Safe and Equal 

Email: media@safeandequal.org.au 

Phone: 03 9921 0897

About Safe and Equal 

Safe and Equal is the peak body for Victorian organisations that specialise in family and gender-based violence across the continuum, including primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery.