Rising living costs and housing insecurity are reshaping the experience of leaving domestic violence.
New research from Anglicare Sydney says the immediate cost for people leaving domestic violence has risen by 71 per cent since 2016, from $4,098 to $7,017.
Claire Dunlop runs Anglicare’s New England North West support services in NSW, and she and her team see firsthand the obstacles victim-survivors face.
Ms Dunlop said it was high time to change the question so many victim-survivors were asked.
“The question we’ve been asking is the wrong question: ‘Why doesn’t she just leave?’ The real question is: ‘Why is it not possible to leave?’
“The further reflection is then, how can we make a difference so that people can leave dangerous situations.”