Some of them now face a homeless Christmas.
Women's Refuge manager Trish McMurtrie said police were being called to more incidents and the level of violence was rising.
"I think unease around Covid-19 is adding to the level of anxiety, but we are all in the same boat."
Miss McMurtrie said Christmas could be a stressful time for families, and some years were worse than others, "but this is off the wall".
"We were empty a week ago and now we have six families in our houses. People can not even find emergency accommodation."
Three of those who sought refuge in Greymouth were homeless as of Thursday, she said.
"We had one mum who quit the job she had for years and moved to Nelson to find accommodation.
"Why don't we have any emergency housing for our people? A lot of refuges have transitional housing or emergency housing. We have tried for two years to get transitional housing.
"We have people in safe houses. They are not in crises, but they need somewhere to go. People are sleeping in cars and tents."
Women's Refuge advocate Justine said there was nowhere to stay until January 6, and the options to house people were mostly inappropriate.
"One room we were offered is .. a cesspit of debauchery, with gang members, drug users, released prisoners and paedophiles. That's not right for women and children. The other two places offered up as suitable accommodation are pubs which are also entirely inappropriate environments."
One woman had been living in her car for two weeks, and had considered returning to her abusive partner just so she had a roof over her head, Justine said.
Victims of family violence were being re-victimised and manipulated, and kicked out of their accommodation for the tourist dollar, she said.
The Women's Refuge will be closed for the statutory holidays but its crises line remains open.
Senior sergeant Mark Kirkwood, of Greymouth police, said family harm always increased at this time of year.
"It is slowly increasing throughout New Zealand. Here is no different, unfortunately."
Mr Kirkwood encouraged anyone who heard something untoward to call 111, and not wait until the next day — "you might prevent something".
Sixty-six people are on the waiting list for a State house in Greymouth, 21 in Westland and 48 in Westport.
- by Helen Murdoch and Meg Fulford
