Date published: 20 April 2021
“Following a five-year campaign to strengthen the domestic abuse bill, many of the amendments are a testament to the tireless and hard work of everyone who has contributed to the bill to improve and increase protection for survivors.
“Housing associations, like us, provide homes for thousands of people and based on the long-term relationship a housing provider has with their customers, we believe that the housing sector can play an important role in tackling domestic abuse and ensuring everybody has a safe place to call home.
“Stonewater has a long history in delivering specialist, inclusive, trauma informed domestic abuse services, particularly supporting those from marginalised groups whose needs are often not met by mainstream support providers. Our contributions to the bill were informed by and based upon the experiences of domestic abuse survivors and our customers, and we would like to thank those members who engaged with us on this.
‘Whilst we welcome the passing of the bill and look forward to working alongside local authorities, local and national partners, and most importantly with survivors to implement the bill, we’re disappointed to see some of these protections have not been extended further.
“In particular, we wanted to see further protection for survivors who have no recourse to public funds and recognition of the distinct needs of those from minority groups. But also, that housing was seen as a core part of the response to supporting survivors.
“The passing of this bill presents a significant milestone in tackling domestic abuse and we will continue developing our services to ensure we are equipped to support any survivor who needs access to safe spaces and support to help them move forward.”