MEDIA RELEASE - Increased housing options for family violence survivors

Family violence survivors will now have access to increased housing options in Greater Dandenong.

Local family violence support service, Wayss, has added 16 new properties to its housing stock available for women and children escaping the horrors of family violence. The properties are in addition to 14 properties Wayss secured under the DHHS funded head-lease program in 2019.

Wayss Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Thomas, said head-leasing is a great opportunity for Wayss to directly access private rental stock in the local community for families in need.

"Stable housing is the first step in empowering a family violence victim survivor to take control of their life and recover. Once the family has secure accommodation, we can then coordinat specialist support services to help the woman and her children rebuild their lives," Ms Thomas said.

Wayss CEO Elizabeth Thomas.

"In just over 12 months, we've increased our housing stock to 30 head-lease properties under our management and that will result in some incredibly positive outcomes for families living in our local community. That's 30 families that now have the chance to build a positive rental history to support future tenancy applications - it's access to a critical first step that they may not have been able to take without this program."

Before linking the family with their new home, Wayss conducts a full safety and risk assessment of the property and works closely with local real estate agents to ensure the right property for the right family.

When they move in, the tenant pays only 33 per cent of the rent for the first six months, then 66 per cent for the remainder of the 12-month tenancy. The goal is for the family to then take over the lease and maintain the tenancy. The subsidised rent is a particular advantage when a woman is escaping a financially abusive relationship and needs time to get on top of their finances.

Ms Thomas said Wayss whole heartedly supports the continued development of the head-lease model across Victoria.

"Head-leasing is an extension of the housing first model, which focuses on getting people housed in safe, secure accommodation and then supporting them to stay housed by access to dedicated case-management. Safe, secure housing is essential to support families to plan pathways for living their best life," Ms Thomas said.

What is head-leasing?

Head-leasing is where a private rental property is rented from a landlord by a third party and then sub-let to the tenant. In the Wayss head-lease program, the property is on-let to a vulnerable tenant at a significantly reduced rental and Wayss takes on the responsibility of the rent and the tenancy obligations to the landlord.

What is financial abuse?

Financial abuse is one of the most powerful ways in which a perpetrator of family violence can gain control over their victim. It manifests in a range of forms and is often difficult to detect. It includes stealing money from a partner; taking out credit-cards or loans in a partner's name; refusing to pay child support; preventing a partner from undertaking paid work or study.