We are delighted to announce the purchase of the Women in Safe Homes fund’s first refuge, with expert housing partner, Refuge.

Women experiencing domestic abuse face many barriers, fears and dangers when trying to leave their circumstances and will often attempt to leave an abusive partner numerous times before they are able to. 

One of the biggest barriers women fleeing domestic abuse is having somewhere safe to escape to.

Of the women who have been able to leave their perpetrator, many will move into some form of temporary accommodation, such as with friends or family, accessing local authority temporary or emergency accommodation, or accessing domestic abuse services that refer them to a refuge - purpose built accommodation for women experiencing domestic abuse and their children.

As a gender lens homelessness property fund, the Women in Safe Homes fund is providing a mix of accommodation for women in need of safe and settled housing, from family homes to shared properties. It is also buying properties to create refuges – one of which is its first women’s refuge for housing partner Refuge.

The demand for refuge spaces is huge. In 2021/22 around 10,800 women and 11,890 children in England were supported in refuges. However, there are currently not enough refuge spaces for everyone who needs one:

• 23.2% shortfall in refuge bedspaces across England
• 61.6% of all referrals received in refuge services were rejected, of which
  • 26.2% were due to lack of space or capacity
• 62% of women in refuges had, on average, two children with them

Refuges provide a vital lifeline for women, providing them with a safe, secure and supported place to live, to recover and to start making plans for moving forward with their lives. Women can usually stay in a refuge for as long as they need. Some women may stay for only a few days, but others may stay for longer, whilst they find other more permanent accommodation.

The fund bought this property to ensure it meets the needs of both Refuge and the women and children it will provide a safe sanctuary for.

The property is in a leafy London suburb, close to decent and accessible transport, shops and other facilities, amenities and schools. Built in the 1930s, it’s a three-story, terraced building and as it was previously a residential property, the fund sought - and was granted - a licence from the local council for change of use to a house of multiple occupancy (HMO).

The property has been retrofitted by the fund's experienced property team to provide seven good sized bedrooms as well as shared communal spaces, such as the large, spacious kitchen and living rooms.

Numerous improvements have been made to the property, including:

• A new, large, communal kitchen with two to four of most appliance types so that more than one woman at a time can use the space
• Internal structural changes to meet the specification, including the creation of an office and counselling room
• Upgrades to all bathrooms and en suites
• New plumbing, pipework and electricals
• New doors, carpets and tiling
• Painting and decorating throughout to make it airy, bright and welcoming
• Energy efficiency overhall, including cavity wall insulation, UPVC windows, full electrical rewiring, energy efficient lighting, radiator replacements, a new boiler and hot water cylinder installation.

This has helped improve the property’s EPC rating from a D to a B and will maximise a reduction in CO2 emissions and energy bills.

The property was handed over to Refuge at the end of June for final furnishings and to make it ready for women and children to live in safety and without fear so they can start their recoveries from their perpetrators.

Louise Swinden, Property Fund Manager at Resonance, said: “We're pleased to be handing over the fund's first refuge building. The fund purchased the 7-bedroom property, successfully received planning consent to change the use and undertook a renovation to meet Refuge's needs and specification including providing an office, counselling room and en suite facilities. This refuge will provide a desperately needed safe space and supportive environment for women and children to start to recover from their experiences of domestic abuse, and to make plans to start rebuilding their lives.”

Keith Breslauer, Managing Director of Patron Capital, said: “Proud that the Women in Safe Homes fund’s first homes with housing partner Refuge, have been completed. They will provide much needed sanctuaries for vulnerable women with children seeking a safe place to live. The homes have undergone a complete renovation and energy overhaul to ensure they are of the highest quality and are close to an array of local amenities. We couldn’t be happier that we have been able to lend our real estate expertise to support Resonance and Refuge in delivering these homes. Without a safe, secure place to live, women who are victims of domestic abuse find it much harder to care for children, gain employment, access healthcare, or arrange benefits. The Women in Safe Homes fund is aiming to tackle this significant issue, helping to improve lives across the UK and continue to highlight important societal problems that need addressing.”

Tracy Blackwell, Director of Strategic Insights and Partnerships at Refuge, said: “In 2020, we were forced to close one of our refuges. Despite our efforts, we were unable to find somewhere else that was affordable, in the right area, and met all our needs. We approached the Women in Safe Homes fund, who purchased and renovated this large family home for us, making sure it had everything we needed.

“Today, the Women in Safe Homes fund are handing Refuge the keys to a property that will provide women and their children fleeing domestic abuse with safe accommodation while they rebuild their lives, away from fear.  

“Thanks to our partnership with the fund, we now have a long-term lease for a property that can accommodate and support seven women and their children. With onsite offices, this property will allow for our specialist staff to give women the building blocks they need to begin a new life.”

The Women in Safe Homes fund is a joint venture between Resonance and Patron Capital. It has raised c£30m enabling it to purchase around 120 homes and to provide around 300 women and their children with a safe and affordable home to live in, over its lifetime.

To date, 37 properties have been handed over to three of the fund’s housing partners and so far, over 70 women and 33 children have been provided with a safe and affordable home.

All stats Women’s Aid: The Domestic Abuse Reports 2022 and 2023