'Homeless women need their own spaces'

BBC News

4 hours ago

When Josie became separated from her children after escaping an abusive relationship, she went to a "very dark place over it".The stress of finding a new home, paired with the psychological weight of the abuse, was a "recipe for disaster", she said.Josie's experience exemplifies the very different challenges women who find themselves homeless face and the often lacking support available to meet their needs, a charity said.Canaan Trust, which used to only accommodate men who were homeless at its site in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, would soon open a new women-only homeless living quarters to meet the significant numbers of women seeking them out for support.
Josie, whose real name the BBC are protecting for her own safety, became homeless in July last year with her two children after fleeing an abusive partner."I was really going into a world of unknown," she recalled."You're put you on a waiting list, but the waiting list can be infinite. And I needed that help there and then."I'd gone from wanting to end my life, to moving in with family, to then experience a different kind of angst and stress to find a property, somewhere I could have my boys with me. It was a recipe for disaster."A family member was able to take her in temporarily, but her children had to stay with family elsewhere."On top of going through the abuse and then being separated from your children, it is heartbreaking."
Locally, the number of women facing homelessness due to fleeing domestic abuse like Josie is also double that of neighbouring councils like Amber Valley and Broxtowe."We have always historically looked after men", says Kevin Curtis, project manager at the Canaan Trust. "When we first started, if you were female and homeless, you wouldn't be left to be on the streets. "The services would step up and support and meet your needs. In recent years, up to you to sort yourself out."Mr Curtis says that most of the homelessness provision he is aware of is "skewed towards male homeless". "These ladies were being asked [by local authorities] to go into houses with unknown men, who had their own issues. "They could have been the victims of domestic abuse, physical, sexual violence, and suddenly be expected to be content living in these unsupervised properties. "And if the ladies turn that down and say no, I feel unsafe, they would then be told... you're on your own."
The building, which the charity fundraised £800,000 over three years to construct, will have capacity to house nine women, and would include a separate small educational facility, aiming to help them progress towards finding work. The facility will also provide a secure space for women to meet with any children who they may have become separated from as a consequence of becoming homeless. This is a key element - given recent figures show that most women in the Erewash area fleeing homelessness in the past year were single mothers with children.The latest data says that of those who sought help from Erewash Borough Council with an imminent risk of homelessness, about 40% were women.That is against a backdrop of an overall rise in homelessness in the area of 75%, squeezing the resources of local councils who are already struggling to meet demand.
Kate Bassford, who will be the service manager for the women's accommodation, says it will also provide a space for women to rebuild their lives."There is massive need," she says. "And there's a lot of hidden homeless for females, because they don't share their stories."She says the main concern for women without a home is safety, adding: "Where do they go? There are some supportive accommodation in the area but they're mixed with males."A lot of the refuges are closed. People get put on waiting lists because there are no properties. Where do they go next? Bricks and mortar places are being shut because they're not getting their funding."She also says the government need to do more to train frontline staff on the needs of women who are homeless.Ms Bassford said there were gaps in understanding the circumstances in which these women fled abuse, including situations like cuckooing. "Government ought to be aware of what's happening on the ground, and I don't think they are," she added.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was "vital survivors of domestic abuse are housed in suitable accommodation and safeguarding should be a top priority".It added local authorities had been provided £160m in 2025/26 "to ensure they can deliver appropriate support in domestic abuse safe accommodation to victims of domestic abuse".
Ms Bassford was able to support Josie into getting private accommodation and help towards the deposit from Erewash Borough Council. Overall, she was homeless for just over two months, and said the women-only accommodation was "amazing". Of the women-only accommodation, she said: "If this had been offered to me back then and it meant that I could see my boys, 100% I would have accepted it. "Because everything I was being offered was out the area. "I was offered two choices, a refuge or a [mixed gender] hostel. Neither of which when you've got two teenage boys is really acceptable."Councillor Josy Hare, lead member for health and wellbeing at Erewash Borough Council, said the authority had extended its provision of temporary housing for men and women who were homeless."The council also leases homes from social housing providers to provide temporary accommodation for families who find themselves homeless and in need of the council's support," she added."People who are homeless or threatened with homelessness can contact the Council's Housing Options Team for free advice and help through its Housing Assistance Referral Portal."If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line for support.