A study has found a link between domestic violence victims forced to leave their homes and homelessness, with 36 per cent of the total demand on the services made up by victims of family violence.

Key points: Study finds link between family violence and homelessness

Study finds link between family violence and homelessness Between 2011-2014, 187,000 people accessed homelessness services due family violence

Between 2011-2014, 187,000 people accessed homelessness services due family violence Safe Steps says true number could be much higher because of the shame women feel

For the first time the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has taken a close look at the link between family violence and homelessness.

It found that 187,000 people, mostly women and children, accessed homelessness services because of family violence from 2011 to 2014 — making up 36 per cent of the total demand on homelessness services.

But Annette Gillespie, the chief executive officer of Victorian family violence response centre Safe Steps, said the true number could be much higher.

"Because women often feel ashamed talking about the violence they experience," Ms Gillespie said.

"It's very possible there are thousands of women working with services across Victoria and Australia as a whole who have not identified to their worker the violence they are living with, and then who are at greater risk because they're not getting the appropriate support."

The institute found only 9 per cent of family violence clients received long-term accommodation when they first requested it.

Ms Gillespie said there was a chronic shortage of accommodation for women and children at the risk of family violence.

"And whether that's in the immediate accommodation, so in refuges, or whether it's in longer term transitional and longer term accommodation, we know it's very difficult for women to get, for example, private brokerage," she said.

"They might not have the means, they often have what we know as partner transmitted debt — because of the violence they often have situations where the property has been damaged by the partner, so they might have get a reference for the next rental property."

Ms Gillespie said a simple solution to the problem would be to force the perpetrators of violence to leave the home, as then the victims could remain in the house, instead of leaving to escape the violence.

"We'd see that happen with much stronger response, prosecution responses, legal responses," she said.

"But also at the time if the police attend the scene, if men who have perpetrated the violence are required to leave the property, more as the first response, then we would see that become the norm."

Ms Gillespie said she thinks there is a good chance those changes could happen now.

"I think we've never been at a more hopeful time to support women and children who live with violence and in fact in the violence," she said.

"I think we're very hopeful that there will be some changes that perpetrators of violence will be held much more accountable."