Beaten, homeless and powerless – we can do better than this

As a society we need to ensure that what happened to Anj, doesn't happen to another young woman in the prime of her life. Changing community attitudes and behaviours is not going to be easy nor will it happen overnight, but we must do better in terms of prevention.

Meanwhile we must work together to create integrated models of service delivery which encompasses community service organisations, housing providers, emergency services, health services, and schools to keep people connected to their community and to empower them to make positive choices in their lives so they can build a brighter future for themselves and their children.

Once you become homeless, things can spiral out of control quickly. Without a safe and secure permanent home, health declines, income plummets, social life stalls and your life changes, radically. Even the small things like having a regular meal, becomes a struggle.

In our experience, the need for support for families in crisis is greatest during the Christmas period, when stories and images of people celebrating with family and friends surround us, making life even more difficult to those in need.