Women and children in New South Wales are being offered a car park to sleep in overnight as part of a pilot program aimed at keeping those experiencing homelessness and domestic violence safe.
The program is being run by an organisation in Newcastle, which has not disclosed its name, for fear of giving away the location. But Nova, the housing assistance service for women and children fleeing domestic violence, has been referring people to the pilot, which began in April and will run until June.
It comes as the NSW government announced on Friday it would develop an urgent emergency package within days to address the domestic violence crisis in the state.
The “Women in Cars” project, offers those staying in the car park food and drink, showers, toilets, laundry, kitchen facilities and access to television. Dogs are allowed and security and support is also on site.
In a statement, Nova said they could not give any more information about the service, as they did not want to put more people at risk.
“We are heartened by the enthusiastic response from our community, both locally and nationally, to share support options for women needing a space to sleep,” the spokesperson said.
“The project is also a pilot, it’s testing an idea to see if it provides respite for women who need it and we respectfully ask you to help us do that by not sharing the car parking project information any further.
“We certainly do not see this pilot as a housing solution, but as a response to the immediate crisis currently in our region.”
In 2022-23, homelessness services across the country assisted 58,589 women and 37,825 children who had experienced domestic and family violence, according to Homelessness Australia. But only 3.7% of those seeking housing got the long-term housing they need to be safe.
The Homelessness NSW chief executive, Dom Rowe, said the lack of safe and affordable housing was “forcing vulnerable women to make impossible choices”.
“What’s out there is often poor quality and not safe or secure for those fleeing violence,” he said. “The problem is particularly bad in regional areas, where the only suitable and safe accommodation might be towns away.”
Homelessness NSW is urging the state government to spend $1bn a year for a decade to double the supply of social housing by 2050.
Rose Jackson, NSW’s housing and homelessness minister, said modular housing and opening unused motels and nursing homes were being considered in the emergency package.
“We know demand for emergency accommodation and long-term housing is not keeping up with supply,” Jackson said.
“Of course, I recognise how these efforts to make women and children safe are direct responses to the ongoing housing crisis, but it’s not acceptable that this is what we have come to. I don’t want to see women and children sleeping in cars because that is the only safe place for them.”
The emergency package is expected to be developed within days, with Jackson saying she had recently spoken to Nova about the Women in Cars project. She said temporary accommodation was available to “anyone who needs it” in the Newcastle region, but there was a shortage of long-term stable housing.
“Fundamentally, we desperately need more long-term social housing for women and children leaving violence. For many sleeping in cars, this is the permanent housing solution they need,” Jackson said.
Currently, one in two people seeking support in NSW are turned away because homelessness services do not have the resources to house them.
Annabelle Daniel, the CEO of Women’s Community Shelters, said domestic violence was the primary reason women became homeless in Australia. “Every shelter we’ve opened over the last 10 years, women have attempted to put themselves on a waiting list for our shelters before they even open,” she said.
In other instances, Daniel said services were now handing out tents to women because they have nowhere else to go.
Australian Associated Press contributed to this report
• In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732
