A LACK of follow-on housing for abuse survivors is one of the “biggest barriers to them moving forwards with their lives” – and stopping safe house spaces being freed up for others in urgent need, according to a domestic abuse charity boss.
Freeda chief executive Kate Wright is calling on the government to either build a secure accommodation unit for families moving out of her charity’s safe house, or provide a small number of discretionary licenses to allow those without housing qualifications to access Andium housing.
She explained: “There are significant concerns regarding the lack of follow-on accommodation for mothers and children in our safe home, especially for those with less than ten years’ residency.
“The lack of suitable and sustainable family accommodation for all of our residents can be one of the biggest barriers to them moving forwards with their lives safely and independently.
“It is even more of a barrier for those without housing qualifications, so even when government delivers the promised new family homes, it will not resolve the problem for many of our clients.”
The lack of suitable and sustainable family accommodation for all of our residents can be one of the biggest barriers to them moving forwards with their lives safely and independently
kate wright, chief executive of freeda
Mrs Wright described the need as “urgent”, explaining that there are many families who cannot wait for the government to work out how to free up under-occupied homes.
“We frequently have families who are ready to move on from the safe house, but finding suitable family accommodation is incredibly difficult,” she said.
“These are homeless women and children, don’t forget – some of the most vulnerable people on our Island and they cannot move on with their lives because there is no accommodation available for them.
“The trauma of having no home is very real.”
Mrs Wright noted that what she sees at Freeda is “just a microcosm of the extent of this issue”, but said she has been heartened by the positive response from ministers during recent conversations.
“This issue is entirely fixable and there appears to be the will to do so quickly,” she added.
It comes after the violence against women and girls report, published in 2023, found that the government should undertake a review of the follow-on accommodation available to victim-survivors who are moving on from temporary refuge accommodation, and consider additional investment into the establishment of such accommodation.
Housing Minister Sam Mézec said the most significant progress since then has been the “positive development of the relationship between the Housing Advice Service and Freeda”, with regular drop-ins now taking place at the safe house and a specialist officer acting as a dedicated contact for domestic abuse referrals.
He confirmed that the Affordable Housing Gateway criteria had been revised to allow “emergency priority” status for those who are homeless or at risk, including women and children staying at Freeda.
Looking ahead, Deputy Mézec said structured referral procedures and personalised housing plans for domestic abuse survivors should be in place “by the end of the year”.
While acknowledging that follow-on accommodation “is a very different model” requiring tailored support, he stressed that work is underway to assess demand and options.
The minister said: “Working with Freeda, I want to understand the demand for this type of accommodation and the types of premises and support that would be required as a result.
“It isn’t just about building new homes and designating them for follow-on accommodation, because any home in our stock should be capable of being used for follow-on accommodation, with the right package of support around the people living in it.”
Eliza’s story
Eliza, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told the JEP that she faced significant difficulties when leaving the Freeda safe house.
She explained that assumptions were often made about the support people could expect from family and friends.
“Assumptions seem to be made that, if you’ve got a support network, they are there to step in and support you,” she said.
“They might be happy to support you in whatever way they can, but it doesn’t mean that they can house you.”
She also highlighted the difficulty of meeting the threshold for housing assistance.
“Despite the fact that I was homeless and had children that I needed to to house, Andium weren’t even prepared to consider me,” she said.
“There’s a middle ground of women that don’t meet that threshold. The option that was offered to me was that I’d have to give up my job, and then I then I be supported – which wasn’t something I wanted to do.”
Eliza described the constant stress of not knowing where she would live after leaving the safe house.
“The minute you arrive at the safe house you’re stressed because you’re having to consider where you’re going to live afterwards,” she said.
“It was all-consuming. I had to put any thoughts about my own healing and my own journey to one side, because I had to prioritise trying to find somewhere to live.”
She added: “I can understand why many women return to a situation that perhaps isn’t safe for them and their families because they face homelessness otherwise.”
Eliza said that follow-on accommodation for women and their families leaving domestic abuse safe houses would be “wonderful”.
“If there was a place where families of women who have experienced domestic abuse could rebuild their lives and get themselves together after that acute stage where they need the safe house environment has passed, that would be really helpful,” she said.
“It would be really lovely for families.
“Because I had to rush and find somewhere to live, that created a whole host of stress for me – and I ended up homeless again.
“I had to seek support of friends on that occasion, and because of my situation, I’m still in this situation now where I haven’t been able to meet the needs in my family and support them as I would like to.”
She also called for affordable housing to be available for survivors on an individual basis.
“I think affordable housing as an option for people who’ve been through domestic abuse would be really helpful,” said Eliza.
“People should be considered on a case-by-case basis rather than everyone having to meet a specific threshold.”
