For the Women in Safe Homes fund, handing over properties means that a vulnerable woman – often a domestic abuse survivor or prison leaver – gets a home. The fund recently handed over the first of four properties - safe houses - to Ella’s, one of the fund’s housing providers which works with women who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation. In 2023, 17,004 potential victims of modern slavery were referred into the government system, with the number of referrals for female survivors at an all time high[1]: So this home comes at a crucial time for women facing housing crisis.
More women are being housed by the fund year on year: 13 in 2022, 71 in 2023, and now 183 women in 2024. Handing over properties has seen an increase too: this year, 54 properties were handed over to housing partners, an increase of 46% since April 2023. So this milestone for Ella’s is a great example of the high-quality homes that the fund provides for women. The property is a shared home in South London for two women, who are likely to have experienced trafficking, modern slavery, abuse and trauma. This home has a shared back garden and driveway space, and is well-placed within the local community, with good access to schools, a nursery, green spaces, and places of worship.
The fund prides itself on the improvements made to the property, making sure the tenants are safe and secure in their new home. Within this property for Ella’s, the following improvements have been made:
The home has spacious rooms, and is not too far from Ella’s’ support centre, a base for various wellbeing and skills development sessions for survivors. Ella’s’ mission is to ensure survivors of trafficking and exploitation have all they need to recover and build lives that are safe and free. Staff provides care to hep them recover and move forward, and long-term community-based support to help survivors build safe, independent lives.
One of the women who has recently moved into this property is Ardy.
“I feel like I can finally breathe.” said Ardy, when she moved into her new home. Ardy is a survivor of modern slavery and violence, and was living in a cold attic with no amenities before she moved in.
Ardy loves her new home. It has a balcony - “I can have a cup of tea here.” she said when she saw it - and is in a safe, peaceful neighbourhood. Ardy says she is overcome with relief and so thankful.
Ardy has been through a lot of trauma over a prolonged period, but now she can rest and begin to recover, and build a better future.
It’s Anti-Slavery Week, a time to raise awareness of the crime of modern slavery affecting more than 30 million women and girls like Ardy worldwide. Please read, share, talk, act and give this week to support survivors like Ardy and stop modern slavery.
Minke van Til, Co-Director at Ella's says, “When they lack a safe place to live, it's simply not possible for survivors to recover properly from the trauma they've been through, let alone build a safe life. For our residents, their space in our safe houses are more than a place to sleep, they are the start of a brighter future. We're so thankful to the Women in Safe Homes fund for the provision of this property, and confident that it will change many lives.”
Louise Swinden, Property Fund Manager, Resonance, says, “We’re really happy to have sourced this property, refurbished it to spec and handed it over to Ella’s to house women who are vulnerable to becoming homeless. A safe and refurbished home means that women can begin planning for the future, in a safe environment with wraparound support. Upgrading and improving this property means that it is in a really good condition for the women who can now call it home.”
A safe, stable home means that women recovering from trauma will be able to take their first steps towards recovery. The fund’s dedication to providing good quality homes for women who need them means that, out of the women housed that experienced domestic abuse, 97% agree they felt safe in their home, 75% of women say that the home has significantly or somewhat improved their ability to exercise choice, and 70% of the responses like the location of the home. The fund is proud to be improving, upgrading and refurbishing homes, with careful attention paid to keeping women supported within their local community.”
Juan Du, Investment Director, Patron Capital, says, “The demand for safe, secure housing for women at risk of homelessness is higher than ever, but through strong partnerships with incredible charities and housing providers like Ella’s, we are making a tangible difference. This first handover to Ella’s is not just a key milestone for the Women in Safe Homes fund – it symbolises the beginning of a meaningful collaboration. So far, we’ve been able to house 270 women and children, and this property is a testament to our commitment to providing high-quality, energy-efficient homes. It’s an honour to work alongside the Ella’s team, ensuring that vulnerable women have both a safe place to live and access to the support services they need to rebuild their lives and regain control of their futures.”
About the Women in Safe Homes fund
The Women in Safe Homes fund is a gender-lens impact investment property fund helping address the housing crisis for women escaping domestic abuse, leaving the criminal justice system without a home to go to and at risk of or experiencing homelessness. It was launched in December 2020 as a joint venture of Resonance and Patron Capital because there is a chronic shortage of safe, decent and affordable housing for women at risk of and experiencing homelessness.
In 2023, 1.4 million women in the UK experienced domestic abuse, one of the leading causes of women’s homelessness, with 70% of survivors having a housing need.
The fund raised £29m from over twenty impact investors and has now closed, focusing on deployment, and has so far purchased 78 properties for its nine housing partners. So far, over 350 women and children have been housed by the fund.
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[1] https://www.ellas.org.uk/stories-and-news/newhouse24
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