From refuge to residence: REIWA partners with Zonta House for their Rapid Rehousing program

REIWA is proud to partner with Zonta House Refuge Association on a program to provide women and families with access to safe and stable long-term accommodation, in a private rental tenancy.

The partnership expands the work REIWA does with other organisations to help vulnerable tenants transition from crisis accommodation to private rentals through the Community REInvest Tenancy Training program. It comes as REIWA CEO Cath Hart was appointed to the State Government’s Homelessness Advisory Board, to help guide the government’s 10-year strategy to reduce homelessness.

Zonta House launched the Safe Home Safe Family: Rapid ReHousing program at an event on 23 March with 70 guests from real estate and government, including Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence (FDV), Hon. Sabine Winton MLA.

FDV is the leading cause of homelessness among women and children, and the Zonta House partnership with REIWA will connect socially conscious landlords with victims/survivors to help them find a new home, as a key step to rebuilding their lives.

“As Property Managers, we are in the unique position of being able to directly link vulnerable tenants with socially-conscious landlords,” REIWA Deputy President Suzanne Brown said. “Tenants that have come to us from rehousing programs have turned out to be fantastic tenants, grateful for the opportunity to change their lives. Meanwhile, our landlords have thanked us for showing them how an investment property can be rewarding in the social sense, not just financially. I urge you to speak to your landlords and join this program, as more PMs are needed than ever before, as the rental crisis continues.”

Zonta House’s Rapid Rehousing program has an initial commitment to rehouse 40 women and their children, and even before the official launch, had already received applications from 29 women. Zonta House Team Leader Kombe Musonda said that with the industry’s support, the program aimed to expand and help many more families, to address the increasing homelessness crisis in the community.

Minister Winton said transitioning women and children out of emergency accommodation also assists refuges and services to support other victim-survivors who need crisis-accommodation. 

Landlords who want to take part in the program, can contact their property manager, or Zonta House directly by phone 1800 870 149 or email [email protected] to discuss how their property can help a FDV victim/survivor looking to make a fresh start.