Sonas Housing Association Ltd

More Supported Housing Places Needed for Women made Homeless due to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence needs to be recognised as a significant pathway into homelessness

Issued: Tuesday, 25th November 2008

Sonas Housing Association is calling for more supported housing for women made homeless due to domestic violence. Studies have shown that 88 per cent of women who suffer from domestic violence do not leave because they have nowhere to go1. Sonas Housing Association, which provides housing to women made homeless due to domestic violence, has implemented a targeted postcard campaign to politicians and policymakers asking how they intend to address this issue as part of the 16 Days Campaign, which starts today. The 16 Days campaign is an international drive from November 25th to December 10th that calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

Sharon Cosgrove, CEO of Sonas Housing, said:

“There is a great need for supported housing because women in domestic violence situations have many needs in relation to safety, health, financial and legal issues. Women’s safety is very important at this time. Women are at greatest risk of homicide when she leaves or when she has just left a violent partner2. Supported transitional housing is currently available through organisations like Sonas, which aims to empower women and support them to independence over the course of two years. However these services are dependent on funding as well as having adequate move-on options into social housing or the private rented sector at the end of the transitional period.”

Cosgrove highlighted the lack of an integrated strategy by local authorities and the health sector on crisis accommodation, short-term housing and long-term housing needs:

“There is a serious need for a co-ordinated approach to service provision for victims of domestic violence from central government, the HSE, the Gardai and local authorities. We need policy guidelines to take account of eligibility and housing management/tenancy issues. Cosc is currently producing a national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence which should inform improving service provision. However this strategy must be put in action quickly.”

Sonas would like a more coherent analysis of the links between domestic violence and homelessness. Cosgrove continued:

“Currently domestic violence is not accurately captured as a cause of homelessness. Due to this gap in knowledge, we are not seeing the extent of the problem and are consequently unable to analyse it adequately. For example, Ireland’s levels of domestic violence against women are comparable to levels in the UK, but we are not seeing comparable levels of homelessness due to domestic violence. In some local authorities, domestic violence is not even considered as a possible cause to homelessness. Instead it is hidden within other listed causes such as ‘anti-social behaviour’ and ‘family breakdown’. There is a great need for a national study that quantitatively examines the impact of domestic violence on homelessness in Ireland.”

-ENDS-

For more information, contact: Paula McGovern, policy and communications officer, Sonas Housing Association, Tel: 01 8309088

Notes to editor:

• Sonas Housing Association offers supported transitional and permanent housing to women and children made homeless because of domestic violence.
• Tenants enter into a Support Contract with Sonas as part of their lease agreement. This includes care work with the family and referral agency before they move into Sonas housing, plus ongoing support meetings.
• Sonas has five transitional housing complexes in Killester, Ballymun, Clondalkin, Fortunestown and Ringsend where tenants pay a regular weekly rent in a supported environment.