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Saturday, 30 October 2021 (YJC)_ Domestic abuse caused nearly one in six new homelessness cases in England between April and June.
Domestic abuse caused nearly one in six new homelessness cases in England between April and June, with numbers rising even as the overall increase in homelessness slowed, according to government figures.
Data out last week from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows that of 34,830 households newly assessed in early 2021 as homeless 5,590 were in that position because of domestic abuse. The number of cases attributable to domestic violence was the highest since records began in 2018 – and a third higher than in the same period in 2019.
“It is completely unacceptable that women feel they must choose between staying with an abuser or facing homelessness or unsafe and unsuitable housing,” said Sarah Davidge of the charity Women’s Aid.
“While the Covid-19 pandemic did not cause domestic abuse – only abusers are responsible for their actions – it has led to the escalation of existing abuse and closed down routes to safety for women to escape.”
Research by Women’s Aid last year found that most women living with an abuser reported that the abuse had worsened during the pandemic, with a fifth prevented from leaving by a lack of housing or refuge space.
“A sector facing a lack of sustainable funding, among other challenges, struggles to cope with the high numbers of women, and their children, who need to access their services,” said Davidge.
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