8th December- Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) endorses DAHA as national best practice in the national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. In February 2022, the Council will be undertaking an accreditation assessment with DAHA to recognise the huge amount work undertaken over the last year. This includes a wide range of training offers for housing teams, awareness events and partnership working as well as scrutinising our systems and processes to ensure high standards are maintained for our residents who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Housing is, clearly, a massive factor towards ensuring safety of survivors and children. There is a national shortage in terms of refuge accommodation bed spaces and often women experiencing gender-based violence must flee across the country to escape those abusing them. For men, and/or LGBT+ people there is very little provision available across the country.
However, the national housing landscape means local authorities may not be able to fulfil their duties locally – and so this does not mean survivors are guaranteed help close to their existing support networks, friends and family.
In Barking and Dagenham, we are exploring ways to keep survivors safe in their own home, using sanctuary schemes to make homes safer with locks, alarms and in some cases CCTV. And in other cases, we are exploring whether it would be beneficial to encourage perpetrators to leave the home if it is part of intensive interventions to stop their abusive behaviour.
Housing can be a contentious issue at a time when there are national resource issues, and we invite you to share thoughts and reflections today as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.
Support Links:
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services