All women and children, regardless of their visa status, deserve access to safety and support.

But right now, women on temporary visas who are fleeing domestic and family violence cannot access critical housing support because they are locked out of NSW’s housing and homelessness system. 

Over 25% of people killed in domestic homicides in Australia in the last two decades were born overseas, with 12.8% holding temporary visas at the time of their death*. Yet victim-survivors on temporary visas face enormous challenges when seeking safety and support. 

This is because those on temporary visas are not eligible for social and affordable housing and temporary accommodation in NSW - which too often means making the impossible choice between indefinite homelessness or staying in violence. 

This is a human rights violation. Immigration status should not be a determining factor in the safety and survival of women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. 

Email the NSW Housing Minister now to give all victim-survivors on temporary visas access to NSW’s housing and homelessness service system. 

The average stay in a refuge for women on temporary visas is 12 months, with some women and children stuck in refuges for up to four years because they have nowhere else to go. Transitioning from crisis accommodation to medium and long-term housing that is safe and affordable is a critical stepping stone in the pathway to security, healing and recovery - one that all women and children deserve access to, regardless of their visa status. 

Take direct action now - Urge the Housing Minister to extend eligibility for women on temporary visas to the NSW housing and homelessness service system, including access to social and affordable housing and temporary accommodation. 

*NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team Report 2021-2023 (2024)