We have deep understanding of the issues faced by women experiencing homelessness and the close links between gender, poverty, family violence and homelessness for women.
We know that family violence and homelessness are intimately connected. Family violence is the key driver of homelessness for women and the main reason women and children leave a family home.
Many women come to us at the peak of a crisis, seeking immediate safety and protection from a perpetrator, or months after violence has occurred, still in vulnerable situations and looking for a safe and secure place to live. We work with victim survivors to explore options that they might not have known existed, as well as being the moral support through what is a very difficult time.
Our support ranges from (but is not restricted to):
- providing short-term temporary accommodation, for example a safe place to sleep for a night and escape violence,
- longer-term support,
- safety planning,
- navigating Child Protection,
- court support (such as taking out intervention orders),
- as well as helping victim survivors to access specialist family violence supports.
We also collaborate with other homelessness service providers to ensure compassionate and tailored service delivery and achieve the best outcomes for women and gender diverse people experiencing homelessness and their children.
Family Violence Outposts
Juno’s specialist family violence workers work from three homelessness access points across the region to provide immediate support to victim survivors of family violence. As the current homelessness system doesn’t offer a gender-specific response, the program seeks to overcome this gap in service delivery by having our specialist workers work alongside case managers in homelessness organisations. This also builds the capacity of homelessness organisations to recognise women’s needs as distinct from those of men.
To receive support from Juno or other specialist support services you must be referred via a local Homelessness Access Point. In Victoria, if you’re experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis, the first step is to contact a local Homelessness Access Point, where an Initial Assessment and Planning (IAP) worker will then assess your support needs and refer you on. As there is no direct referral process, clients come to Juno through Access Points. Find a Victorian Access Point.
