Responding to the Social Housing Bill, Ellie Butt, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Refuge, said:
“There is a huge intersection between domestic abuse and homelessness. At Refuge, every day we hear from survivors who are trapped in accommodation with their abusers, with nowhere else to go. For many, the choice is stark: stay with an abuser or face homelessness.
At Refuge, we are clear that no one should have to lose their home because of domestic abuse. It is unacceptable that anyone should be forced to choose between their safety and a roof over their head. All survivors deserve to be supported to stay safely in their homes, or access alternative safe accommodation.
Refuge welcomes the increased powers in the Social Housing Bill that enable landlords to take legal action to remove a perpetrator from a tenancy agreement and convert it into a survivor’s sole name, allowing survivors to stay in their homes when it is safe for them to do so.
Although the measures in the Social Housing Bill represent an important step forward, Refuge is concerned that the protections will be limited by the narrow range of offences included in the mandatory grounds for eviction. Given the extremely low proportion of perpetrators who are arrested, charged, and convicted, linking housing rights to the criminal justice system risks creating a significant barrier for survivors.
On top of this, the Bill in its current form does not contain any clear obligations for landlords to use these stronger powers. The Government must provide greater detail around how landlords will be expected and encouraged to use these measures in practice. Similarly, we need urgent clarity on where perpetrators will go once they have been removed, and how survivors will be kept safe. There is a significant risk that perpetrators who are displaced may seek to retaliate against the survivor, who they might hold responsible. It is paramount that there are safeguards in place to prevent this.
Removing the perpetrator is only the first step, not a silver bullet. Survivors will continue to need specialist support, including safety planning and practical assistance, to rebuild their lives free from abuse. It is essential that clear processes are in place to ensure survivors can access the wider support network needed through this time, including local specialist domestic abuse services.
As the Bill progresses through Parliament, Refuge will fight for it to be truly effective in providing survivors with safe, secure housing, ensuring that protections on paper translate into meaningful change.”
