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Five per cent of all new social homes built in London each year should be allocated for women and children made homeless through abuse, a charity has said.
Solace Women’s Aid, which supports people in London affected by domestic abuse, has made the demand in a report published today highlighting the ongoing issues of housing women and children who are victims of violence.
It also wants women fleeing abuse to be allocated at least a “minimum” of 5% of all social housing lettings per year.
The report, entitled Safe As Houses?, includes research showing that nearly a third of women seeking shelter are turned away six or more times.
The findings also show that 53% of women lose their secure tenancy after fleeing abuse.
The report lays the blame at the government over funding cuts to services.
“A prolonged period of austerity, deepening housing crisis and funding cuts to specialist services, has created a bleak landscape for women fleeing abuse in London,” the report said.
The charity’s findings also raise questions over the effectiveness of the Homelessness Reduction Act, introduced last year.
It found that only 4% of frontline workers think support for women with no recourse has improved under the act. And 60% of frontline workers think the system is now slower to make decisions under the act, according to the research.
Shortly after the Homelessness Reduction Act was launched, Sir Steve Bullock, the former mayor of Lewisham, warned that the legislation could fail due to a lack of planning and “unrealistic” funding arrangements.
And a report this week claimed that the government had “severely understated” the cost of the act.
Fiona Dwyer, chief executive of Solace, said the report is evidence of the need for “radical change”. The charity supported 22,816 women, children and men last year.
Ms Dwyer said the message was that a “lack of safe housing is the number one barrier to leaving”.
Among its demands, Solace is also calling for every London borough to “ensure women made homeless from abuse are made a priority for safe, secure, suitable housing”.
The charity also urges all London councils to put in place “strategies to ensure a clear pathway for women threatened with homelessness or made homeless due to abuse”.
James Murray, London’s deputy mayor for housing and residential development, said: “It is appalling that vulnerable women are forced to stay in dangerous situations because they are afraid of becoming homeless.”
He added: “We will work with councils to do all we can, but the government must also step up and give us the funding and powers we need to build enough safe and secure homes so no woman ever has to stay in an abusive environment.”
Sophie Linden, deputy mayor for policing and crime, said: “It is entirely unacceptable that vulnerable women feel like they have to stay in an abusive environment in order to have a roof over their heads.”