Help for people experiencing domestic and family violence or sexual violence

Domestic and family violence and sexual violence can make you feel unsafe in your home. Help is available whether you choose to leave or stay.

If you need to leave your home urgently

Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for police if you are in a dangerous or life-threatening situation.

If you’re experiencing domestic and family violence and need crisis accommodation, you can call:

• DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811
  24 hours, 7 days

• DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636
  9am–midnight, 7 days

If you’ve experienced sexual violence and need accommodation assistance, you can call:

• Sexual Assault Helpline: 1800 010 120
  7:30am–11:30pm, 7 days

• Victim Connect: 1300 318 940
  24 hours, 7 days

How we can help

Housing Service Centre (HSC) staff will ask for some details to understand your situation and connect you with appropriate help to ensure you and your children are safe. We can provide details to other services with your consent to help you avoid repeating the same information several times.

Flexible Assistance Package

A Flexible Assistance Package supports people experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence.

We work with other support services to source cost-effective, essential goods such as:

• removalists to relocate your belongings to a safe property
• basic furniture, fridge, or washing machine, if you have left things behind when you fled
• repairs to damage—if the person using violence has left and you’re staying at the home.

Protections for people experiencing domestic and family violence

The law provides options for people experiencing domestic and family violence from an intimate partner, relative, kin or carer, including kinship carers.

If you live in public housing

If you’re unsafe or are worried that the violence will affect your tenancy, please contact your nearest Housing Service Centre.

You have the right to:

• Change your public housing property locks without our consent—or you can ask us to do this on your behalf.
• Leave your public housing property immediately.

If you leave your public housing property, you won't be responsible for the following costs:

• property damage caused by domestic and family violence
• goods left behind at the public housing property.

If you’re renting

The Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) provides comprehensive information for:

• leaving a rental home quickly due to domestic and family violence
• people living in residential services, rooming accommodation or supported accommodation.

This includes information about your rights if you leave on short notice.

If you have a mortgage or own your home

If you’re paying a mortgage or own your home and you need to leave the property due to safety concerns, you can contact your nearest Housing Service Centre for help and advice.

If you’re worried about what this means for your mortgage payments, contact your bank. Many banks have trained staff who can talk confidentially with you about your mortgage options.

Mortgage relief loans

A Mortgage Relief Loan provides short-term help to people who are having difficulties with their home loan repayments due to an unexpected crisis. The loan is interest free with no application fees or ongoing charges.