SafeLives responds to announcement of £16.6 million for refuge funding

This morning the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced £16.6 million of funding for local areas to improve domestic abuse support. Suzanne Jacob OBE, Chief Executive of SafeLives, said:

'While investment in domestic abuse support services is always to be welcomed, £16.6 million is a fraction of the true amount needed. It also seems to be focussed entirely on emergency accommodation such as refuge. This is an essential form of support for those who are forced to leave their homes, but only one part of the picture.

'We need a whole system response to domestic abuse. This must include robustly funded community-based services, and a housing system that supports survivors to regain control over their lives in safe long-term accommodation.

'We welcome the desire from the MHCLG to ‘end the postcode lottery of service provision’, but to actually achieve this requires much greater ambition – and investment.'