Key stats
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of homeless adults living in temporary accommodation are women
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of referrals to refuge are turned away and the proportion is even higher for BME women
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of homeless women say domestic abuse contributed to their homelessness
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The challenge
Organisations supporting women in challenging circumstances, such as survivors of domestic abuse, or those struggling with addiction are often held back by lack of suitable and affordable housing. Long waiting lists for council homes, increasingly unaffordable private rented sector and widespread landlord discrimination remain key barriers. The high cost of investing in housing is a significant challenge for organisations that are seeking to purchase homes directly.
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The approach
As part of our work addressing the housing needs of vulnerable people, we decided to explore ways to address the specific housing needs of women in challenging circumstances in partnership with housing providers and experts in the sector. We surveyed 60 women’s sector organisations to help us understand the issue more clearly. Their responses revealed growing interest among frontline organisations for leasing property as emergency and move-on accommodation. This feedback helped us to co-develop the Women In Safe Homes Fund with Resonance and Patron Capital which, subject to approval from our Investment Committee, will acquire properties and lease them to providers of housing and support, such as refuges and women’s centres.
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Key partners
Ms Alison Inman (former President of CIH)
Ms Lisa Hilder (Trustee, Preston Road Women’s Centre)
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Contact
Whether you are a social enterprise, charity, investor or fund manager, we’d like to hear from you about how we can unite capital, expertise and ideas to solve social issues.