Date published: 18 February 2020
"Domestic abuse is an overarching societal issue that has more repeat victims than any other crime and is estimated to cost the public purse £23 billion every year. On our latest podcast episode, we were calling for the Government and other housing providers to make a stand and commit to taking greater action against tackling domestic abuse, and I believe that the Government’s announcement this morning is a step in the right direction to helping organisations like ours to achieve this.
"In fact, Stonewater has a great track record of standing up for perhaps some of the most vulnerable and least well served members of our community – providing specialist refuges and Safe Spaces. As a result, we are pleased that Stonewater has been part of a local authority lead partnership that has successfully been awarded a proportion of this new funding, which will provide safe accommodation for more people affected by domestic abuse and their families.
"We believe no survivor of domestic abuse should have to struggle and wait months, to get the right support they need but figures for the number of people affected by domestic abuse are staggering, affecting 2.4 million adults in England and Wales last year alone. While the Government’s £16.6 million pledge accounts for helping around only 43,000 survivors, I believe that this funding should help bring an end to the postcode lottery of support for those fleeing abusive relationships, helping more people understand domestic abuse, as well as ensuring those that need support, can safely access it.”