Gunnedah Family Support set to open new domestic violence refuge providing transition accommodation for women and children

But, the announcement a second women's refuge will open in the town is promising news for those at the forefront of the crisis.

Gunnedah Family Support has secured $483,995 in funding to purchase a four bedroom home within town, at an undisclosed location.

The residential property will be transformed into a refuge, providing transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing situations of domestic and family violence.

Gunnedah Family Support CEO Vanessa Hodges-Schembri said the organisation already works closely with Homes North, a local social housing provider.

"We are in partnership with them to provide a similar transition house model already, which is working really well," she said.

"But this opportunity to purchase infrastructure of our own came up and was just a bit too good to not act upon.

"We see it as an important resource for the Gunnedah community."

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Gunnedah Family Support will deliver a 'transition' housing model that combines short to medium tenancy agreements with targeted, intensive and specialist case management support, one family at a time.

"In Gunnedah there are real pressures around accessing the private rental market, it's a really competitive market and that makes it really difficult for a single income household to compete against the bigger income earners," Ms Hodges-Schembri added.

The funding came from the COVID-19 Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Infrastructure Grant Program - a joint initiative between the state and federal government as a response to the increasing rates of domestic violence during the pandemic.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said sadly domestic violence instances are on the rise, and the issue is of particular concern in Gunnedah, which has seen a steady increase in reports over the last five years.

"We've got to continually look at what we do to support those most vulnerable in our community," he said.

"To be able to fund Gunnedah Family Support, who provide that valuable frontline service, is critically important because it's such a traumatic time."

It comes after the first sod was turned on the Allawah Cottage domestic violence refuge last month - an initiative started by Jobs Australia.

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