YHomes: Safe, Affordable Homes for Women in Canberra
YHomes is YWCA Canberra’s visionary housing initiative, working toward a future where every woman — no matter her age — has access to safe, secure, and long-term accommodation.
For women who need it most
We own and manage long-term accommodation for women who need it most — women leaving domestic violence, women facing housing insecurity in older age, women priced out of a market that was never designed with them in mind. Our properties range from permanent affordable housing to crisis accommodation. It is bricks and mortar, owned by a community organisation, held for women who have nowhere else to go.
Current Properties
Data from March 2024-March 2025
Our Approach
YHomes is grounded in Housing First principals, the internationally recognised best-practice model for providing sustainable housing to people who have experienced long-term or recurring homelessness. Housing First rests on a simple but powerful idea: a safe, stable home is not the end point of recovery — it’s the starting point. Rather than requiring women to resolve crisis before they can access housing, YHomes begins with the home itself and builds tailored support around it.
Through this approach, women are empowered to live independently and with dignity, supported by services that reflect their diverse experiences and that never place their tenancy at risk. In addition to long-term housing, YWCA Canberra operates short- to medium-term crisis units for women and children fleeing violence, offering specialist wrap-around support including safety planning, therapeutic care, and pathways to stability.
‘We’re not servicing homelessness. We’re solving it with housing.’
— Frances Crimmins, YWCA Canberra CEO
Our story so far
2013
We opened Lady Heydon House — five self-contained studios, all under one roof, designed specifically for older women. That year, we also acquired two separate one-bedroom apartments under the National Rental Affordability Scheme.
2023
Our first development build marked the launch of YHomes. We built nine separate apartments on land we had purchased in 1993. With housing affordability and availability as longstanding issues in Canberra, YWCA Canberra has been actively engaged in advocating for housing solutions and creating supportive environments for girls and women. The development is well-located, safe, and fit-for-purpose housing for women on modest incomes to live independently. The mixed-use project delivered 9 one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments funded through YWCA Canberra, Homes for Homes, philanthropy and the Department of Social Services (DSS) ‘Safer Places’ program.
Since opening in December 2023, these homes have been at full capacity from day one — a testament to both the quality of what we offer and the scale of unmet need in our community.
2025
In 2025, we acquired two additional, larger family-sized homes specifically for women escaping violence with their children – bridging a critical gap for families who need more space to feel safe and start over. This acquisition was funded through the Department of Social Services (DSS) ‘Safer Places’ program.
That same year, we welcomed the proposal to exempt public housing from third-party appeals at ACAT which is a practical step toward getting homes to people who need them faster.
2026
In 2026, a successful Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) outcome enabled us to acquire eight new two-bedroom properties in a central area with access to public transport. This was supported by Allhomes, Homes for Homes and philanthropy.
In addition to this, thanks to a hugely successful End of Financial Year Fundraising campaign, the Canberra community donated $47,119 which covered the deposit to purchase a two-bedroom apartment.
Our first build
YHomes doesn’t just acquire properties — we build them. Our first official build is Daridhawara, a Ngunnawal word meaning “safe place,” pronounced Da-ri-dha-woo-ra.
This name is a profound gift from the Ngunnawal Elders of Winanggaay Ngunnawal Language Aboriginal Corporation, and we were deeply honoured to receive it. There could be no truer name for what we built— a safe, secure, and supportive environment for women and families in need, carrying a Ngunnawal name that speaks to its purpose.
Learn more
Hidden Women is a short documentary film highlighting the experiences of older women in housing and the confluence of gaps in policy and service delivery that have exacerbated the situation.