DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
PAYCE Foundation support The PAYCE Foundation has donated the use of seven large houses in the Parramatta region to provide short-term accommodation, transitional housing and counselling support for families. The Foundation understands it is vital that women and children who have been exposed to domestic and family violence have a secure place to stay and support from qualified caseworkers to rebuild their lives. In addition to this, PAYCE Foundation collaborated with WCS to establish Pathways Home, a project that uses ‘meanwhile use’ properties land-banked for future development, to provide transitional housing to women and children leaving WCS shelters around NSW. This support is essential for families leaving emergency accommodation to give them the best chance to re-establish their lives. WCS Chief Executive Officer Annabelle Daniel said: “I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the PAYCE Foundation for their long-term partnership. “When we first partnered with the PAYCE Foundation in 2017, it was an ambitious idea to repurpose housing that was underutilised, to provide additional safe beds to women and children who were leaving homelessness or domestic and family violence. “Almost four years later, that’s driven a more than 300% increase in [the] number of beds we have been able to offer to women and children, which is a phenomenal result.”
For several years, the PAYCE Foundation has supported organisations working on the frontline helping women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Sadly, there remains a shortage of accommodation for women seeking a safe place for their families. Long COVID-19 lockdowns have exacerbated this. The Foundation has worked with its partners to find innovative solutions to one of society’s most urgent challenges. Women’s Community Shelter Women’s Community Shelter (WCS) is committed to breaking the cycles of homelessness and domestic and family violence and establishing an Australia in which women are safe, secure, supported and equal. WCS works with local communities to establish crisis accommodation shelters for women and children who are homeless or leaving domestic and family violence and provide transitional housing and community education programs. Parramatta Women’s Shelter (PWS) – located in an LGA with a high rate of domestic violence – is the WCS Parramatta crisis accommodation shelter. PWS’ purpose is to support new beginnings for women and children who need a safe place to stay.
The PAYCE Foundation extended its agreement with the Parramatta Women’s Shelter to help more women and children fleeing domestic violence. Pictured: PAYCE Foundation Community Partnership and Program Coordinator Maddy James,
Key outcomes of the Pathways Home program 21 properties in the program 76 women and 73 children housed 40,052 bed nights 101 safe beds
Parramatta Women’s Shelter Chairperson Liz Scully and Shelter Manager Tania Smith.
2 8 PA Y C E FOUNDAT I ON
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