The relationship between domestic violence and homelessness June 2010

Michaela Gosch

Main Causes of Homelessness for Women

Income of women

Educational system

Difficulties finding work

Lack of affordable housing

Hidden Homelessness

Female homlessness is invisible

“Individual coping strategies”

staying with friends or family

staying in violent relationsships

Main reason for female homelessness -Domestic violence

To escape from violence, women are

often forced to leave home

They experience social and personal

disruption

They face financial disadvantages

Austrian Federal Act on Protection from Domestic Violence

In force since 1997Barring orders

2 weeks (police)4 weeks (district court, temporary injunction)1 year and longer (civil court, temporary injunction)

2008: 6566 perpetrators were evicted

Women’s Shelters in Austria

26 Shelters

748 places for women

and their children

Placed in rural and urban

aereas

Women’s Shelter Graz

45 placesStyrian Act for Violence Protection InstitutionsMaximum stay of 6 months2008: 140 women and 136 children

After leaving the shelter (2008)Former home with perpetrator: 37 %

New home: 22 %

Accommodation for homeless women: 12 %

Family or friends: 13 %

Former home without perpetrator: 6 %

Transitional accommodation: 4 %

No data available: 6 %

Groups with special needs

Immigrants

Older women

Women with disabilities

Women with multiple issues

Immigrant women

64% of women inthe shelterPoor social networkPoor language skillsNo incomeInsecure legal status

Strategiesin Graz

300 places for homeless womenExpansion of council housingTransitional Apartments (Shelter)Prevention projects – schools hospitals

Join inJoin in!

Affordable and supervised sharedappartements

Sustainability

Art projects

Thank you!

Corporation with local political authorities

We proudly present:

The women´s shelter choire!

Thank you!