Weaponising the Home: How Economic Abuse and Family Violence Fuel Mortgage Stress
Tracks
Room 4: In-Person Only
| Tuesday, November 25, 2025 |
| 2:10 PM - 2:40 PM |
Overview
Yvonne Montfort, Mortgage Stress Victoria
Details
1. Understanding mortgage stress as a safety issue—not just a financial one—is essential to supporting victim-survivors effectively.
2. Regardless of the stage of mortgage stress, victim-survivors have access to options and support mechanisms to safeguard their housing and wellbeing.
3. Integrated practice represents best practice in supporting victim-survivors of family violence as they navigate their rights and options in the context of mortgage stress.
Speaker
Miss Yvonne Montfort
Program Manager - Social Work
Mortgage Stress Victoria
Weaponising the Home: How Economic Abuse and Family Violence Fuel Mortgage Stress.
Presentation Overview
Mortgages, typically seen as a pathway to stability, are increasingly being weaponised by people using violence (PUV) as tools of coercive control and economic abuse. Mortgages are being used to entrap victim-survivors of family violence, destabilise housing and extend the reach of abuse beyond the relationship.
Mortgage Stress Victoria (MSV) is a unique, specialist service supporting Victorians experiencing mortgage stress, with a strong focus on those impacted by family violence. Through an integrated practice model that brings together lawyers, financial counsellors, and social workers, MSV delivers holistic, client-centered support to individuals navigating the complex intersection of mortgage stress, economic abuse, and housing insecurity.
Over one-third of MSV’s clients are victim-survivors of family violence. In many cases, perpetrators deliberately withhold mortgage repayments, force foreclosure, or coerce victims into unaffordable loans—tactics that weaponise the mortgage itself to exert control. These actions often result in unaffordable debt, damaged credit, and a diminished capacity to secure stable housing. Additional indicators of economic abuse—such as coerced debt, restricted access to income, and limited financial literacy—further entrench disadvantage and dependence.
This presentation will explore how mortgages are used as instruments of abuse, drawing on case studies to illustrate the lived experiences of victim-survivors. These stories will highlight the critical role of integrated, multidisciplinary practice in disrupting cycles of coercive control and supporting long-term housing security.
Mortgage Stress Victoria (MSV) is a unique, specialist service supporting Victorians experiencing mortgage stress, with a strong focus on those impacted by family violence. Through an integrated practice model that brings together lawyers, financial counsellors, and social workers, MSV delivers holistic, client-centered support to individuals navigating the complex intersection of mortgage stress, economic abuse, and housing insecurity.
Over one-third of MSV’s clients are victim-survivors of family violence. In many cases, perpetrators deliberately withhold mortgage repayments, force foreclosure, or coerce victims into unaffordable loans—tactics that weaponise the mortgage itself to exert control. These actions often result in unaffordable debt, damaged credit, and a diminished capacity to secure stable housing. Additional indicators of economic abuse—such as coerced debt, restricted access to income, and limited financial literacy—further entrench disadvantage and dependence.
This presentation will explore how mortgages are used as instruments of abuse, drawing on case studies to illustrate the lived experiences of victim-survivors. These stories will highlight the critical role of integrated, multidisciplinary practice in disrupting cycles of coercive control and supporting long-term housing security.
Biography
With over a decade of experience in the community sector, Yvonne is a dedicated Social Work Program Manager specialising in the many and varied impacts of mortgage stress. She leads an integrated, trauma-informed program that supports vulnerable individuals and families to maintain housing stability. Her expertise spans case management, advocacy, systemic change work and integrated practice, with a strong focus on empowering victim-survivors of family violence. Passionate about social justice and systemic change, Yvonne brings strategic leadership and deep compassion to her work, ensuring that services are responsive, inclusive, and grounded in the lived experiences of those most at risk.
