Councils are set to receive a significant funding boost of £19 million to provide enhanced support for survivors of domestic abuse in rebuilding their lives through safe housing options. This additional funding will assist approximately 4,900 families seeking safety, supplementing the existing £480 million allocated over the next three years to offer women and children support in secure accommodations. Support measures may involve access to housing in refuges or undisclosed locations, as well as security enhancements like lock changes and alarms for individuals residing in their own homes.
Official statistics reveal that more than one in ten people facing homelessness or at risk of homelessness have fled domestic abuse situations. Highlighting the importance of this funding, Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern stressed the necessity of ensuring individuals do not have to endure the dilemma of choosing between an unsafe environment and homelessness. The government is prioritizing the reduction of violence against women and girls as a national crisis, with a commitment to halve such incidents over the next decade. The allocated funds aim to enable local authorities to offer secure accommodation and tailored support, including refuges and Sanctuary Schemes, to empower every survivor with access to safety, stability, and a fresh start.
These developments coincide with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s upcoming unveiling of comprehensive reforms within the justice system to combat violence against women and girls. Mahmood highlighted shortcomings in the criminal justice system’s treatment of female victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and stalking, emphasizing the need for consistent and specialized support across all regions.
Under the proposed reforms, all police forces will be mandated to recruit specialized officers for rape and sex offense cases, while new teams of covert online investigators will be established to address online abuse effectively. Additionally, Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will be expanded nationwide, enforcing curfews, electronic tagging, and exclusion zones on abusers, with breaches carrying penalties of up to 5 years in prison. The scope of Clare’s Law, a scheme enabling individuals to request information on their partner’s previous convictions, will be broadened to include offenses like stalking and sexual assault, named after Clare Wood, a victim of domestic violence murdered by her ex-partner who had a history of violence against women.