News
Domestic Abuse and Homelessness
From your perspective, how closely linked are domestic abuse and homelessness in the clients you support?
Domestic abuse and homelessness are intrinsically linked. For many people, particularly women and children, becoming homeless is not simply the result of a tenancy breakdown but a direct consequence of needing to flee an unsafe home.
Domestic abuse is a significant issue in Northern Ireland. The PSNI responds to a domestic abuse-related call approximately every 17 minutes, and nearly one in five crimes recorded by police are domestic abuse-related. These figures are likely to be the tip of the iceberg, as many incidents go unreported. They demonstrate both the scale of the problem and the importance of ensuring that victims and survivors can access safe housing and support when they need it.
What are some of the common barriers people face when trying to leave an abusive situation and access housing or support?
People often face multiple barriers at once. Fear of further violence, stalking or intimidation if the perpetrator discovers plans to leave is common, and leaving can be the most dangerous time for a victim. Financial abuse can leave people without access to money, identification, bank accounts or transport. Many also worry about their children’s wellbeing, schooling and family relationships. A shortage of suitable housing options, particularly larger family accommodation, adds further difficulty. Emotional trauma can affect confidence, decision-making and trust in services, while a lack of awareness of housing rights or available support creates additional obstacles.
Ongoing coercive control, including technology-enabled abuse and monitoring of phones, social media or finances, is another significant barrier. These overlapping challenges make coordinated housing and specialist domestic abuse support essential.
Floating Support
How does floating support help people who have experienced domestic abuse stay safe and rebuild stability once they have (or are seeking) accommodation?
Floating support provides practical and emotional assistance while allowing people to remain in their own home or in temporary accommodation. Support workers help individuals develop personalised safety and support plans, manage housing and tenancy issues, maximise income and access benefits and financial support, and get signposted to legal help. They also connect people to counselling, health services and community resources, and help them rebuild confidence and independence. Importantly, floating support recognises that securing accommodation is only the first step. Sustaining a tenancy and recovering from trauma requires ongoing support and advocacy.
What does effective trauma-informed support look like in a floating support setting?
Yes. Many survivors remain in contact with abusive partners due to child contact arrangements, shared finances or housing, cultural or family pressures, or ongoing psychological control and attachment. Challenges include managing continued risk, digital surveillance, coercive control and varying levels of engagement with support services. At the same time, floating support offers real opportunities because workers can provide ongoing risk assessment, practical safety planning and quick intervention if circumstances change. Close partnership working with police, social services and specialist domestic abuse organisations is crucial.
Are there particular challenges or opportunities when supporting people who may still be at risk or who have ongoing contact with an abusive partner?
Yes. Many survivors remain in contact with abusive partners due to child contact arrangements, shared finances or housing, cultural or family pressures, or ongoing psychological control and attachment.
Challenges include managing continued risk, digital surveillance, coercive control and varying levels of engagement with support services. At the same time, floating support offers real opportunities because workers can provide ongoing risk assessment, practical safety planning and quick intervention if circumstances change. Close partnership working with police, social services and specialist domestic abuse organisations is crucial.
Policy and Systemic Issues
From your seat on the Policy Forum, what are the biggest gaps or challenges you see in how housing and homelessness services respond to domestic abuse in Northern Ireland?
Key challenges include:
Key challenges include limited availability of suitable housing due to supply and demand pressures, along with ongoing pressure on temporary accommodation and homelessness services. There is a clear need for earlier intervention to prevent homelessness before crisis point, and for all housing professionals to have specialist domestic abuse training. Better integration between housing, justice, health and social care services is also essential, as is enabling survivors to remain safely in their homes where appropriate through measures such as the Sanctuary Scheme. There have been positive developments, including the Housing Executive’s Domestic Abuse Action Plan and the Northern Ireland Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024–2031, both of which place greater emphasis on coordinated responses and prevention.
Practical Insights and Awareness
What would you most want people to understand about the realities of domestic abuse and housing during Domestic Abuse Awareness Week?
The key message is that home should always be a place of safety. Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence. It can include psychological, emotional, financial, sexual and technology-enabled abuse. Many people experiencing abuse are making complex decisions every day about their safety, their children and their future.
Leaving is often the most dangerous time for a victim, and many survivors face the prospect of homelessness simply because they choose safety.
Are there any positive developments or examples of good practice you’ve seen recently that give you hope?
Yes. These include the inclusion of tackling violence against women and girls as a priority in the Programme for Government, the launch of the NIHE Domestic Abuse Action Plan, and the implementation of the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024–2031, which promotes a whole-system approach. There has also been an expansion of initiatives such as the Sanctuary Scheme, enabling some victims to remain safely in their own homes through enhanced security measures, along with new pilot programmes focused specifically on preventing homelessness among domestic abuse survivors. These developments show increasing recognition that domestic abuse is both a housing and a public protection issue.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, what would meaningful progress look like for people affected by domestic abuse who need housing and support?
Meaningful progress would include earlier identification of domestic abuse across all housing services and faster access to safe and appropriate accommodation. It would also mean sustainable long-term housing options rather than prolonged stays in temporary accommodation, consistent access to trauma-informed support regardless of location, and better integration between housing, justice, health and specialist domestic abuse services. Greater preventative measures so that homelessness becomes rare, brief and non-recurring would also be essential.
Is there anything else you’d like to highlight that often gets missed in discussions about domestic abuse and homelessness?
Children’s experiences are often overlooked. Even when children are not directly targeted, living in a home where domestic abuse occurs can have long-term impacts on their wellbeing, education and development. It is also important to remember that recovery does not end when someone secures a home. The effects of trauma, financial hardship and rebuilding a sense of safety can continue for months or years. Housing is a critical foundation, but sustained support is what ultimately helps people move from surviving to thriving.