Latest news with #solomum
SBS Australia
09-08-2025
- General
- SBS Australia
Diana lived in her car while battling cancer. A new housing initiative is offering hope
This story contains reference to domestic violence Diana is a solo mum living in Victoria. After fleeing the family farm with two children, she struggled to find housing. At the lowest point, Diana lived in her car with her young son, outside a fast-food outlet. "My son was in year 12 and it was just awful. Unbelievable. It's really hard to even get the words out about how we felt," said Diana, 53. "It was the worst time of our lives. It was absolutely devastating and it caused us so much stress." Diana grew up on a farm and enjoys growing her own food. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell Like many women facing insecure housing in Australia, Diana is a family and domestic violence survivor. Bitter memories linger of those terrible years, when lack of housing wasn't her only hardship. "I was also battling cancer at that stage. It had affected my stomach, and I was on a feeding tube practically 24/7," she said. "Having feeds go through to my stomach while living in the car, I had to hook it up on makeshift power outlet. It was so hard. "I don't even know how we got through that. It is something that no-one should ever have to experience." Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia, said 45 per cent of women and girls in Australia seeking homelessness support have experienced domestic and family violence. Credit: SBS / Sandra Fulloon Requests for housing support increasing Recent research by Homelessness Australia reveals an alarming rise in the number of already homeless women and girls seeking assistance. "Our analysis found that women and girls coming to homeless services who have already lost their home has increased by 20 per cent in the past three years," CEO Kate Colvin said. Requests for housing support increased from 24,517 in May 2022 to 29,449 in March this year. "Around 45 per cent are fleeing family and domestic violence. Others are squeezed out into homelessness by the rental crisis," said Colvin. "The sad reality is that when women come to a homelessness service and can't get the help they need, if they're fleeing family violence, often they return to that situation. It feels safer than being on the street," she said. Diana understands the housing dilemma all too well. The New Zealand-born former farmer has spent years in and out of temporary accommodation. "Initially, I had no income at all, so finding a place to rent was impossible," she said. "Even when we did find a property, I had PTSD and couldn't work. So, my kids did what they could, but of course nowhere near enough to cover the rent. Diana lives in a rented home in Victoria with her daughter Emma, 30. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell "It is devastating and you feel so small, like you are not worthy of anything. "Finally, St Vincent de Paul got us into a safe house in Melbourne and we stayed there for a year." More than 400,000 older women in Australia are thought to be at risk of homelessness. The federal government's Housing Australia Future Fund includes dedicated funding for 4,000 homes for older women at risk of homelessness. LISTEN TO However, Homelessness Australia says more is needed. "[Homelessness] just keeps getting worse and worse. Rents are increasing relentlessly. We also have record low vacancy rates," Colvin said. Global Sisters founder Mandy Richards. Source: SBS / SBS Sandra Fulloon New housing initiative Global Sisters is a not-for-profit trialling a new initiative that aims to get groups of at-risk women into their own homes. "Called Little Green Houses, the scheme provides affordable housing ownership to Australian women who are on low incomes and those facing housing insecurity," said founder Mandy Richards. A $3 million pilot project aims to build up to eight small, energy-efficient houses in regional NSW by Christmas. Pilot projects in other states are due to follow, with ownership backed by low-cost loans. "These homes are for women who are completely locked out of the housing market," Richards said. "Many cannot access a mortgage, so they do not have a hope in hell of buying a house in a land package." One of the Little Green Houses designed for the pilot project. Source: Supplied / Wild Modular / Global Sisters The project was developed in partnership with pre-fabricated housing company Wild Modular and the Regional Australia Bank, and has support from a major philanthropic foundation, and the Global Cities Foundation. The first phase of the project is focused on supporting solo mums and their children. "If we can help women achieve economic security, then we can reduce homelessness for some women and children and prevent them from living in cars and couch surfing," Richards said. The proposed interior of a Little Green House, designed for the pilot project. Source: Supplied / Wild Modular / Global Sisters The Little Green Houses are modular and can be built quickly. Each house and land package is valued at around $350,000. "They are really beautiful and highly energy efficient," Richards said. "And we aim to ensure that repayments stay below 35 per cent of a low income such as social security payments." Diana and her daughter Emma, 30, were forced to move again last year and now pay $535 per week for their four-bedroom home. They are among candidates selected for a Little Green House. 'Huge savings on bills' "It would be a dream come true to own our home, and pay the mortgage back below the rate we are paying in rent," she said. "The houses are energy efficient, which means huge savings on bills. "At the moment, electricity, gas and water keeps going up as everyone knows and it's extremely hard to make ends meet." Diana runs a ceramics business from home, which supplements her income. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell Diana now works part-time with Global Sisters and runs a small ceramics business from her rented home in regional Victoria. "I make around $15,000 each year from selling my ceramics and I love it, but it's not enough to pay bills and save for a mortgage. "I have no savings, no super. All we earn goes on rent and bills. So, to buy a home [on the open market] now that I am in my mid-fifties, seems impossible." Emma runs a home-based jewellery business but both say last year's house hunt left them traumatised. "My daughter and I looked at 122 rentals and we were not accepted for any of them," Diana said. Emma, (left) with her mum Diana at home in regional Victoria. Source: SBS / Scott Cardwell "You feel desperate and begin to fear becoming homeless again. Yeah, it's always on your mind. It looms over you," she said. Daughter Emma agrees: "Growing up during a rental crisis, and having to move house every few years it almost becomes the norm. And it is not. You should be able to settle." "In an ideal world, Australia needs to completely overhaul the system. It just doesn't work. There's not enough funding, there are not enough people hands-on helping." Best hope for security Mother and daughter fear for their future, as the end of their current lease approaches. "We both struggle with health issues," said Diana. "I have PTSD from years of stress and recently had surgery to remove a sarcoma in my leg. "I have worked so hard since I was 15 years old and every time I took one step up the ladder, I fell back down because of these health issues." Their best hope for security is a Little Green House. "Imagine, just imagine moving into our own home with a garden, knowing that it's safe. "And it would be ours. No one could take it away from us," she said. Homelessness Week runs from 4 August to 10 August 2025. If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
SBS Australia
08-08-2025
- General
- SBS Australia
Diana lived in her car with her son while battling cancer. A new housing project offers a home of her own
"It was just awful. Unbelievable. It's really hard to even get the words out how we felt. It was the worst time of our lives." Diana is a solo mum, reflecting on her experience of homelessness, after fleeing the family farm with her two children. "We lost our lives. We lost our community, we lost our home, I lost my gardens, which I loved as well. We lost everything that we knew and that was secure to us. There was a point there, for three weeks, that myself and my son lived in my car and it was absolutely devastating." Like many women facing insecure housing in Australia, Diana is a family and domestic violence survivor. Bitter memories linger of those terrible years, when lack of housing wasn't her only hardship. "I was actually battling cancer at that stage as well. It had affected my stomach, so I was on a feeding tube practically 24 /7. Living in the car, you've got to hook it up on something. I don't know how we got through that." In recent years, the number of women like Diana seeking housing support has risen sharply, according to Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia. "What our analysis reveals is that women and girls coming to homeless services who have already lost their home has increased 20 per cent in just the past three years." Amid the current housing crisis, Ms Colvin says the recent study has also revealed that 45 per cent of those seeking support have also fled abuse. "The sad reality is that when women come to a homelessness service and can't get the help they need, if they're fleeing family violence, often what we see is that they return to that violent situation because it feels safer than being on the street. What we need is for women to be able to access a long-term home that they can afford. So that means a lot more investment in social housing, but we also need investment in emergency housing. So, when women have nowhere to go that night, there's somewhere safe for them to be." Diana understands the dilemma all too well. The New Zealand-born former farmer has spent years in and out of temporary accommodation. "The financial stress, struggling to find a place was impossible, absolutely impossible. It's devastating and you feel so small like you're not worthy of anything. St Vincent de Paul got us into a safe house down in Melbourne and we stayed there for a year." More than 400,000 older women in Australia are thought to be at risk of homelessness. Ms Colvin says the crisis is worsening. "This is an emergency situation, and we need rapid action. I feel terribly worried because I've been working on this issue for a long time - and I do see that it's getting worse; and the housing crisis is biting higher and higher up the income scale. Now we see low-wage workers and even people on higher incomes and that really struggling in the rental market." Not-for-profit Global Sisters is setting up a pilot project that aims to get more at-risk women into their own homes. Founder and CEO Mandy Richards explains: "The Little Green Houses project aims to provide affordable housing ownership to Australian women who are on low incomes and who are facing housing insecurity. So, these are women that are completely locked out of the housing market. They can't access a mortgage. They don't have a hope in hell currently of buying a house and land package." The $3 million pilot project aims to build up to eight small, energy efficient houses in regional NSW by Christmas. Ms Richards says similar projects in other states will follow. "So, we are trying to kill two birds with one stone and put an asset in the form of housing ownership into the hands of the women in Australia who need it most. We're focusing on solo moms. And the reason for that, particularly, is that if we can help those women achieve economic security, then we stop them becoming those increasing numbers of women we are seeing facing homelessness and living in their cars and couch surfing." Diana is paying $535 per week rent for a four-bedroom home in regional Victoria for herself and 30-year-old daughter Emma. She can't work full-time or save for a mortgage due to health issues. "I suffer from multiple different sorts of cancers. I've actually just gone through another two cancers at the moment, breast cancer and sarcoma in my leg. I don't have any savings, I don't have any super. So, to be ever able to afford my own home now that I'm in my mid-fifties, impossible to do." Diana says their most recent house move stirred up old fears. "My daughter and I looked at 122 rentals and we didn't get accepted for any of them. The desperation, being homeless once before, yeah it's always on your mind. So, you've got that thing looming over you." Diana now runs a small ceramics business from her garage, and daughter Emma makes and sells jewellery. They are among candidates selected for the first Little Green House pilot. For Emma, it offers badly needed stability. "I can picture like, oh, I can unpack those boxes that have been sitting there for years I can put things on the walls, I can customise my house, I can have a place to go and call my own." With further surgery looming, Diana says celebrating Christmas in a home of their own would be the best gift of all! "Oh imagine, just imagine moving into my own home, my own garden, knowing that it's safe, like it's going to be mine, this is mine. No one can take it from me. It's – it's like a dream." Homelessness Week runs from 4 August to 10 August 2025. If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In an emergency, call 000. The Men's Referral Service, operated by No to Violence, can be contacted on 1300 766 491.
