Additional safe places for women and children escaping domestic and family violence will be available on the Sunshine Coast following a $2.6 million Morrison Government Safe Places grant announced for Coast2Bay Housing Group.
Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services, Luke Howarth joined Sunshine Coast Federal MPs Ted O’Brien and Andrew Wallace today to congratulate Coast2Bay.
Assistant Minister Howarth said the funding would make a very real difference to Queensland women and children.
“The grant will allow Coast2Bay to provide additional safe places for around 48 women and children each year experiencing violence,” Assistant Minister Howarth said.
“Through the Safe Places grant, the Government is helping ensure emergency accommodation is available and delivered to vulnerable women and children.”
Federal member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien, said keeping women and children safe was a priority.
“There are women and children living in fear in their own homes,” Mr O’Brien said.
“When women make the very difficult decision to leave their home it is vital that they have somewhere safe to go.”
Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace also welcomed the grant funding.
“Last year I hosted the Assistant Minister for a Homelessness roundtable and we heard about the demand for emergency accommodation across the Sunshine Coast. Coast2Bay is helping fill this need and support vulnerable women and children,” Mr Wallace said.
“Access to emergency accommodation is one of the most important factors in assisting women and children to escape violence within the home, and I am pleased to see that more options are going to be available to women on the Coast thanks to this Federal Government.”
The investment will be used by Coast2Bay to purchase and construct eight new dwellings with a mix of three and two bedroom units across the Sunshine Coast.
The $60 million Safe Places Emergency Accommodation program is part of the $78 million funding package which includes $18 million to continue the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes initiative.
This funding forms part of the $340 million Australian Government investment in the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010–2022.
For more information on Coast2Bay, visit coast2bay.com.au
For more information on the Safe Places grants, visit the Community Grants Hub