Vic fund to help families escape violence

Rosie Batty says her first Christmas without son Luke will be a challenge but the support of the community gives her the courage and purpose to go on.

Launching the Rapid Housing Support program at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday, Ms Batty fought back tears as she welcomed a new partnership between realestate.com.au and not-for-profit organisation Homeground.

It will help women and children escaping family violence find safe accommodation quickly.

"Everybody should be able to live safely in their own home," Ms Batty said.

"It is a basic right."

Phase one of the partnership will see realestate.com.au set up a the Rapid Housing Response Fund, with a $1 million injection in the first year and a total of $3 million over the next three years.

The initiative will ensure more women and children escaping family violence go on to find affordable and permanent housing.

FAMILY VIOLENCE IN VICTORIA:

* One in three women is affected by family violence

* One woman per week dies as a result

* Christmas and New Year is the busiest time for police responding to family violence

* Police attend a family violence incident every 10 minutes on Christmas Day

* Family violence accounted for 32 per cent of people accessing homelessness services in 2011/12.

SOURCE: www.homeground.org.au