CHC and Karinya House build three homes for mothers

The report describes a mother it calls Carly, a name changed for the story. She was 25 weeks pregnant with twins when she left the children’s father because of domestic violence. She was couch surfing or staying in motels, and was not eligible for public housing because she had lived in the ACT for only eight weeks. Her older children, then aged 5 and 7, could not enrol in school without a fixed address.

Karinya House offered her a place in one of its transitional cottages and supported her through the birth and the postpartum period. The two-bedroom house later became unsuitable for a family of five. The Canberra Times says Carly has since secured a larger home through Housing ACT.

The numbers

Karinya House chief executive Lavinia Tyrrel told the paper that 41 women assessed between 2023 and 2025 might have suited a different transitional housing model, one with fewer security restrictions and more space. The new houses respond to that gap.

The project is a partnership between CHC, led by chief executive Nathan Dal Bon, and Karinya House. The report says funding comes partly from the Housing Australia Future Fund crisis and transitional housing scheme and partly from a Homes for Homes grant. It does not give a total cost, and this article does not estimate one.

Karinya House consulted women, including Carly, on the design of the houses, according to the report.

What’s next

Construction is due for completion by 1 December 2027, and the first residents are expected to move in by Christmas, the report says. The report does not say where the three houses will be built, so we have not named a suburb. Earlier ACT housing coverage includes a FOI order on vacant public housing.

Ms Tyrrel said demand for crisis housing for women remains high, pointing to domestic violence, the housing crisis and cost of living pressures.

The Canberra Times report also lists support services for readers affected by family violence, including Lifeline on 13 11 14 and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.