Page 716 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 July 1989
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During 1989-90 several other new and expanded services were funded. These will help to address recent concerns regarding the appropriate housing of youth in our community. Southside Youth Refuge Association received a grant of $110,000 to operate a medium-term youth refuge. This will be located in South Canberra. Southside Youth Refuge Association currently provides a crisis youth refuge. The aim of the medium-term service is to provide a level of support that will give young people the skills to live independently within the community. A new service, specifically for young women, is also being established to meet an identified unmet need in the ACT. This service will offer medium- to long-term intensive supported accommodation for women aged 12 to 20 on the south side of Canberra. Funding for this service in 1989-90 will be $215,000. After a successful pilot project, increased funding has also been provided to enable the continuation and expansion of a youth housing outreach worker project. The role of the outreach workers is to explore options for young people moving to independent living and to assist them to make this transition. The service is located within the Short Cuts Information and Referral Service in the Civic Youth Centre. Funding for this project in 1989-90 is $73,000.
New funding was also provided in 1988-89 for a halfway house for the "Doris" women's refuge. This refuge, established in early 1987 for victims of domestic violence, has had to turn away approximately four times more women and children than have been accommodated. The need to establish a medium-term residence was seen as a high priority. In response to the needs of this group of women, our Labor Government has already indicated its commitment to the establishment of another domestic violence refuge in the ACT.
Other services for women funded under SAAP include the following: the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, which recently reopened its 24-hour crisis service, which provides practical and confidential support for women who are survivors of rape, incest and sexual harassment and gives out information about legal, medical and police processes; the Canberra Incest Centre, which provides support to women and children who are survivors of incest and which also operates an excellent resource library that is widely used in the community; additional funding in 1988-89 for an extra worker to enable the Incest Centre to operate five days a week; the Canberra Single Women's Shelter, which offers a crisis and medium-term service to homeless single women in the ACT, which shelter has been in operation since 1975 and provides a secure, comfortable and supportive environment for its residents; Canberra Women's Refuge, which provides a crisis and medium-term service for women and their children who are victims of domestic violence; Medea Homeless Women's and Children's Refuge, which operates crisis accommodation in emotional distress; and under the umbrella of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Caroline Chisholm House and Monica House, which provide
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