Many survivors of domestic abuse are falling into a cycle of homelessness and abuse due to the complexity of the housing system, a charity has warned.
New research published by SafeLives is calling for an urgent change in the way survivors of domestic abuse are supported with housing.
Spotlight report, Safe at Home says more must be done to identify abuse early and keep survivors safe in their own homes. Data from the charity shows over 10% of people re-housed by a domestic abuse service were moved out of their local authority area.
Suzanne Jacob, chief executive of SafeLives, said: ‘We must do better by these “hidden” survivors: we need support that recognises the multiple disadvantages homeless survivors face, a model that recognises housing as a basic human need, then addressing trauma, substance dependence and offending where those are also an issue.
'Above all, we need to prioritise early intervention and hold perpetrators of domestic abuse to account; we need to stop expecting survivors to leave their home and hide, while the perpetrators remain at the home, unchallenged and unaccountable.’
