We are delighted to share the Women in Safe Homes fund’s fourth social impact report, for 2023/24. Read the report HERE.

This year, the fund has focused on deploying capital raised to achieve the urgent property requirements for its housing partners and to increase the number of women and children housed.

• 78 properties in the portfolio – a 73% increase on last year
• 54 properties housing women and children – a 46% increase on last year
• 183 women and 80 children housed by the fund so far – a 152% increase on last year
• 9 housing partners, 7 of whom now have tenanted properties

There are two main cohorts of women housed by the fund: those with experience of domestic abuse and those leaving prison without a home to go to. The women the fund is housing and supporting women face multiple disadvantages and overlapping, complex needs. For example, 68% of all the women living in the fund’s homes have experienced domestic abuse – this figure also includes some of the women leaving prison (44% of the women housed by the fund).

Whilst the fund has increased the number of women and their children being housed this year, the sad reality is that domestic abuse continued to affect one in four women in 2023/24, with 70% of survivors having an unmet housing need. And due to lack of spaces and services often being unable to meet the needs of some, 62% of women were turned away from refuges when first referred, last year. Additionally, 50% of women leave prison without a settled home to go to making them more vulnerable to abuse and at risk of reoffending.

Quantitative and qualitative data suggest that the combination of a safe and appropriate home alongside support from housing partners is enabling many of the women to start to recover from their experiences and achieve the outcomes they are seeking.

As per previous years, the fund’s annual survey with housing partners and tenants is evidencing positive outcomes for women housed by the fund:

• 91.5% reported positive impact on their wellbeing/life outcomes
• 97% of women agreed they felt safe living in their home - a 10% increase on last year
• 96% of women agreed their home was suitable for their needs – a 13% increase on last year
• 97% of women agreed their home has helped them access the support they need

“I feel very happy and pleased to have a place I can call home. We have so much space now and my son has his own bedroom where he can enjoy playing with his toys.” Elsa, tenant

“This home has helped me keep myself and my children safe, which is my main priority in life.” Melinda, tenant

The fund has continued to work with its diverse range of housing partners in the last year, building its relationships with all partners whilst also enabling partners to start connecting and building relationships with each other through its newly established Housing Partner Forum.

The first Forum was well-attended and provided an opportunity for collaboration, shared learnings and experiences in delivering the right high-quality housing and specialist support for women.

“Meeting other organisations who have benefitted from the fund gave me the opportunity to hear how others have developed their offer for women and children and consider how joint working may be possible in the future.” Hollie Venn, CEO, Sheffield Women’s Aid

The fund’s ambitions

Over the fund’s lifetime, it has an ambition to purchase 124 homes for its nine partners and to house and support over 2,000 women and children, providing them with stability and the chance to rebuild their lives and create positive futures for themselves.

It also hopes that the fund’s learnings can benefit not just this fund and its housing partners, but also other organisations that might be seeking solutions to women’s housing needs and deliver similar outcomes to the Women in Safe Homes fund.

Read the Women in Safe Homes fund’s Social Impact Report 2023/24 HERE.