Category Archives: Housing

Domestic abusers to be evicted under new landmark housing law – Ministry of Housing

Landlords get new powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators from social homes

Abusers will be evicted from social homes and victims will be able to stay safely in their communities, under a new landmark Social Housing Bill returning to Parliament for its Second Reading today (Monday 1 June).

Under new protections, landlords and courts will be able to evict perpetrators of domestic abuse from social housing – without the victim having to leave first.

Currently, landlords can only evict a perpetrator after the victim has already left the home, and in joint tenancies, the only option for the victim is to end the tenancy entirely – potentially leaving them homeless.

The Bill also closes a loophole that let abusers serve a Notice to Quit to make victims homeless. Under the proposed new law, a Notice to Quit served by a perpetrator will not end the social housing joint tenancy while court proceedings are ongoing.

In addition, for joint tenancies, courts will be able to transfer the tenancy into the victim’s sole name, or where staying is not appropriate, require the landlord to provide suitable alternative accommodation where available.

Last year, around 15,000 households in England were forced to find a new social home because of domestic abuse. This Bill means victims can stay safely in their homes and communities, close to support networks, schools, and work.

The news follows the swift introduction of the Bill earlier this month, which also includes the biggest overhaul of Right to Buy in a generation to reverse the decline of social housing.

Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs said:

“Sharing a social home with a perpetrator presents victims and survivors of domestic abuse with an impossible choice. Remaining in their home means facing further abuse but leaving could put them at risk of homelessness and struggling financially.

“Alongside survivors and campaigners, I have been calling for action to be taken to stop perpetrators from weaponising joint tenancies – and I’m pleased to see that the government has listened.

“People experiencing domestic abuse need safety and stability in order to recover and rebuild free from harm. This will be an important step towards that for many.”

Head of Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance, Nicki Clarke said:

“The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) welcomes the Government’s tenancy reforms proposed within the Social Housing Bill. These changes represent an important and long overdue step forward, with the potential to transform the lives of many domestic abuse victims.

“Domestic abuse typically takes place in the home and it is where most women are killed. By enabling landlords to safeguard victims and hold the perpetrators of abuse to account, these reforms will enable domestic abuse victims, including children, to achieve safety, stability and long-term housing security. This is essential for all individuals impacted by domestic abuse to rebuild their independence and move forward with lives free from harm.

“We look forward to working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to support the development and implementation of these measures, and to ensure that the detail of the reforms delivers meaningful, practical outcomes for those affected.”

Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, Veronica Oakeshott said:

“Today, the Social Housing Bill has received its second reading, and we are pleased to see that it contains measures to protect some survivors of domestic abuse in joint tenancies, which Women’s Aid, along with sector colleagues, have long campaigned on.

“For too long, survivors have been faced with impossible choices – either staying with their abusers or risking homelessness – all because of outdated practices. The measures introduced in this Bill begin to change that picture by enabling social landlords to transfer a tenancy to a survivor in certain circumstances or, where needed, evict perpetrators and prevent them from unilaterally ending a tenancy. While ultimately we hope the measures will go further to enable more survivors to qualify, this is an important start.”

Further information

Under the Bill, a Notice to Quit served by a perpetrator in a social housing joint tenancy will not take effect where a notice under the domestic abuse grounds is in force, or during ongoing court or eviction proceedings, preventing the misuse of such notices to force tenants out of their homes.

Extracts from a longer press release at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/domestic-abusers-to-be-evicted-under-new-landmark-housing-law

June 5, 2026

Domestic Abuse Duty for Support in Safe Accommodation – Evaluation: Executive summary – Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Conclusions and best practice observations

The findings from the evaluation have generated these insights:

  1. MHCLG should encourage LAs to ensure they are enabling direct engagement with survivors (and indirectly with children) to inform all stages of Part 4 implementation.
  2. LAs should implement transparent commissioning processes that are accessible to all organisations including smaller specialist providers and By and For services. This can lead to a more diverse range of provision, better meeting survivors’ needs.
  3. LAs should collate, disseminate and update comprehensive information setting out the range of safe accommodation available and the support within it, so survivors have options and are able to make informed choices about the support they need.
  4. LAs should ensure that children’s interests and needs are met on an ongoing basis by increased provision of dedicated/specific support maintaining pace with demand. In relation to dedicated provision, children’s support workers should be provided for children in all safe accommodation settings. Specific support should be provided for children with additional needs, including mental health needs.
  5. Given that substantial mental health needs are less well met, duty funding could be used to provide mental health first aid training for safe accommodation staff.
  6. Services should be enabled to extend their support offer to include financial management, through collaboration with expert providers in the voluntary sector, to aid survivors in re-establishing themselves independently after safe accommodation.
  7. MHCLG should work with LAs and sector experts to consider how best to measure the impact of support in safe accommodation. This includes considering the potential for introducing standardised outcome measurement tools to develop a comparable evidence base.
  8. There is a significant knowledge gap regarding support in sanctuary schemes. A sanctuary scheme aims to make the home environment safe for survivors to remain in their own homes, where it is their choice, and the perpetrator does not live there.  MHCLG should commission further research to understand how the duty is being used to support survivors in sanctuary schemes and how the support needs of both adult and child survivors are best met in this model.
  9. As many victim-survivors move across areas for safety, LAs may want to consider co-ordinating with neighbouring authorities on their needs assessments, strategies, commissioning or monitoring and evaluating delivery and outcomes. Doing so can offer information and insight on a larger scale and may bring efficiencies in shared effort, although it may not have the granular detail of those focused on a single LA.

Read the full summary at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-duty-for-support-in-safe-accommodation-evaluation/domestic-abuse-duty-for-support-in-safe-accommodation-evaluation-executive-summary

July 29, 2025

5 June 2024 16:00 ~ Women’s experiences of temporary safe accommodation as survivors of domestic violence – UCLan Connect Centre – Online

Exploring the experiences of women who have survived domestic abuse with current or previous experience of temporary safe accommodation in England

  • Online via Zoom
  • Finishes 17:00
  • Free – but please register (*)

Existing ONS data on domestic abuse largely reflects the experiences of survivors within household settings. While there are some data available on the experiences of survivors in temporary accommodation, including data on victim services, there are gaps relating to the breadth and depth of survivors’ experiences within these settings. Qualitative research conducted by the ONS’ Centre for Equalities between January and March 2023 explored the experiences of 40 women who have survived domestic abuse with current or previous experience of temporary safe accommodation in England.

This research explores the experience of women from a range of characteristics and circumstance, looking at their journey to and through a range of accommodation types. Experiences varied among participants with some survivors experiencing more complex, non-linear pathways involving different forms of provision and multiple moves from one accommodation to another. Women told us about the challenges they face, including a lack of accommodation and complex processes, as well as things which work well for them, including empathic, timely support and flexibility for individual needs and circumstances. Women shared their recommendations and hopes for the future, including a call for greater support, particularly around mental health, and more accommodation options and availability.

Siannan and Alex are senior social researchers working in the qualitative team of the Office for National Statistics’ Centre for Equalities and Inclusion. The Centre is a multi-disciplinary team whose aim is to ensure that data and evidence are available to explore how protected characteristic groups and others at risk of disadvantage are affected by current social and policy issues and how multiple characteristics come together to shape people’s experiences. Following on from the recommendations from the Inclusive Data Taskforce in 2021, the qualitative team focuses on providing evidence and insight to better understand the lived experiences of different statistically underrepresented groups, whose views are less likely to be included through traditional data collection methods.

Zoom Link – copy code below into browser

(*) Reserve your place via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ons-qualitative-research-tickets-884842617087?aff=oddtdtcreator

May 28, 2024

Government to lay new law to halt the march of gender-neutral toilets in buildings – Departments of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, Women & Equalities

New requirements will be brought forward for single sex toilet facilities in new non-domestic buildings to alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns.   

New requirements will be brought forward for single sex toilet facilities in new non-domestic buildings to alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns.

The new legislation follows the results of a consultation on the proposals, where responses showed 81% agreed with the intention for separate single-sex toilet facilities and 82% agreed with the intention to provide universal toilets where space allows.  A universal toilet is self-contained, and a fully enclosed toilet room with a wash hand basin for individual use.

Responses highlighted particular concerns from women, elderly and the disabled who felt unfairly disadvantaged as publicly accessible toilets are increasingly being converted into gender neutral facilities where users share cubicle and hand-washing facilities. This leads to increasing waiting in shared queues, decreased choice and less privacy and dignity.

The new requirements will mean everyone can access appropriate facilities either through a separate single-sex space or a self-contained, universal toilet.

Changes to building regulations will mean that new non-domestic buildings, including restaurants, shopping centres, offices and public toilets will be required to provide separate single-sex toilets for women and men. Self-contained, universal toilets may be provided in addition, where space allows, or instead of single-sex toilets where there isn’t enough space.

In addition to single-sex toilets becoming the default for new non-domestic buildings and places undertaking major refurbishment, the policy encourages provision of self-contained universal toilets, which are a fully enclosed toilet room with a washbasin and hand-drying facilities for individual use.

The government is clear that single-sex spaces are essential for ensuring privacy and dignity for the elderly, women, and girls.

The move comes following a set of announcements of firm action to protect spaces for women and girls, such as the government’s introduction of a new NHS constitution which put patient safety and dignity at the heart of care, including reinforcing the NHS’s commitment to providing single-sex wards. It also follows the Minister for Women and Equalities’ call for examples of organisations issuing incorrect guidance on single-sex spaces.

In addition, the Department for Education re-enforced that schools are required to comply with minimum standards, including that separate toilets for boys and girls aged 8 years and over are to be provided. While colleges are not subject to the same legal requirements, they should take the same approach given the same safeguarding considerations apply.

Changes to building regulations will ensure that:

  • separate single-sex toilets facilities are provided for men and women
  • self-contained, universal toilets may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets, where space allows
  • self-contained universal toilets may be provided instead of single-sex toilets only where lack of space reasonably precludes provision of single-sex toilet accommodation

Further information

The new requirement will apply to new non-domestic buildings, or buildings which undergo a material change of use, with some exceptions.

These exemptions are:

  • residential homes
  • en suite facilities in individual rooms for residential purposes
  • residential rooms in care homes
  • premises used wholly or mainly for early years provision
  • schools(*)
  • cellular accommodation in custodial facilities

While separate toilet facilities for boys and girls aged 8 years or over must already be provided in schools, except where the toilet facility is provided in a room that can be secured from the inside and that is intended for use by one pupil at a time.

The changes will affect England only.  

In the Building Regulations 2010 Part T and Approved Document T, the phrase universal toilets is used. This refers to self-contained, private toilets, which are a fully enclosed toilet room with a wash hand basin for individual use.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-lay-new-law-to-halt-the-march-of-gender-neutral-toilets-in-buildings

(*) Single-Sex Toilets and Changing Facilities – Safe School Alliance
https://safeschoolsallianceuk.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/singlesextoiletsfactsheet.pdf

May 7, 2024

Women’s safety: housing and intersecting crises in Manchester

This news story signposts a report and campaign on the safety of women experiencing homelessness in Manchester that are the product of two events on women’s homelessness at the University of Manchester in the last year.

In May 2023, members of the Manchester Urban Institute Feminist Collective hosted the event “Women’s Safety: Housing and intersecting crises in Manchester” at the University of Manchester.

This event was organised to bring together individuals, organisations and those working with and for local authorities to discuss women’s safety in the context of austerity and intersecting crises in the UK.

The event began with a panel discussion in which Manchester Action for Street Health (MASH), Safety4Sisters, Shelter, Women Asylum Seekers Together (WAST), and Manchester Women’s Aid shared information about their work to support women’s safety, underscoring the impact of austerity and intersecting crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising costs of living in the UK, on this work.

A report was produced to outline the critical issues surrounding women’s safety and homelessness in Manchester raised within discussions at the event.

The report ‘Women’s Safety: Austerity and Intersecting crises in Manchester’ was launched at the University of Manchester in February 2024. The report outlines the key challenges facing the individuals and services working to support the safety of women who are experiencing homelessness in the context of austerity and intersecting crises in the UK.

The challenges and concerns highlighted in the report fall into two broad categories: (1) supporting women to access affordable housing, and (2) ensuring women have access to services. The report also signposts some useful responses to these challenges at the individual, local and national levels. The key recommendation the report provides is that policy on housing and women’s safety must be more inclusive going forward.

The follow-up event in February 2024 also provided the opportunity for the Women’s Homelessness Involvement Group (WHIG) to raise awareness about women’s homelessness and highlight the gaps in support for women and families experiencing homelessness in Manchester.

Stakeholders and those with lived experience came together at the event to discuss the impact of gaps in support on women’s and children’s lives, emphasising that as day centres do not allow children inside and these tend to be male-dominated spaces, there is a lack of spaces for mothers and families experiencing homelessness to go in Manchester.

The report defines women’s safety as going beyond physical safety to include emotional and mental well-being, making the challenges faced by mothers experiencing homelessness in Manchester an issue of women’s safety.

WHIG presented their 2024 campaign ‘Give the Mum a Chance’, which has three clear questions:

  1. A day centre for women and children experiencing homelessness in Manchester
  2. A more trauma-informed and preventative approach across services in Manchester, particularly around women who have had (or are at risk of having) children removed
  3. An increased awareness of the different ways in which women experience homelessness in Manchester

WHIG’s ‘Give the Mum a Chance’ petition is being circulated, please consider signing if you agree that the above questions are necessary and would like to contribute to the impact and weight of the campaign.

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/womens-safety-housing-and-intersecting-crises-in-manchester/

 

March 6, 2024