Sunshine Coast charity SunnyKids have opened the doors to six fully furnished townhouses for domestic violence survivors.
The housing complex continues to offer important support and assistance to the trauma-affected families after they moved out of crisis accommodation and into their new homes.
SunnyKids chief executive officer Kathleen Hope says the housing opportunity allows case workers to gauge where families are in their journey and identify where more intensive support is needed.
“What is unique about this is that it comes with significant support for these families,” she says. “We are not requiring external services to come in and provide any additional support.
“Because this is community funded and not government funded, we don’t have the red tape. So, we can be more targeted to their individual need.”
Families will have the opportunity to build a rental ledger while they are housed on the property for up to two years.
A domestic violence survivor, who wished not to be identified, says she arrived at the crisis centre feeling helpless.
“The kindness and encouragement I received helped me realise that I was capable of rebuilding my life,” she says.
SunnyKids business relationship manager Brooke Papamanolis says the townhouses are designed to accommodate up to eight people, with multiple bedrooms, individual bathrooms and living spaces.
“To know that they have gone through the worst of the worst and are walking into such a beautiful spaces… washing machines, dryers, microwaves, fridges – everything is there,” she says.
“They can breathe.”
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show an 8 per cent increase in family and domestic family abuse in 2024-25.
WORDS AND PHOTO: Melisa Kelly
For more information on SunnyKids, go to sunnykids.org.au/sunnykids-impact.
