Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Victims of Domestic Abuse: Accommodation

Monday 7 April 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lee Barron asked about a constituent victim of domestic abuse facing eviction and denied housing band A status.
  • Iqbal Mohamed inquired about a homeless pregnant woman victim of domestic abuse kicked out of temporary accommodation by Kirklees council.
  • Marsha De Cordova highlighted the issue of homeless women fleeing domestic abuse and the challenges they face.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lee Barron Lab Corby and East Northamptonshire
Social Care Housing Women & Equalities
Context

A constituent of Lee Barron faced difficulties after being served a section 21 notice by her landlord while under police protection due to domestic violence, leading to housing denial despite the necessity for custody of children.

Question

One of my constituents is a victim of domestic abuse and on a 999 priority list. She was served a section 21 notice by her landlord and denied band A housing by the council because, in order to keep custody of her children, she had signed a police protection order stating that she was not at risk of domestic violence. She was forced to choose between her children and a safe home. What is my hon. Friend doing to ensure that councils properly prioritise domestic abuse victims so that no one faces such an impossible choice?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rushanara Ali)

I am so sorry to hear about the difficulties that my hon. Friend’s constituent has faced. That is horrific. He will be aware that the Government are focused on tackling violence against women, working across Departments and being led by the Home Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister. Local authorities are strongly encouraged through statutory guidance to give priority for social housing to victims of domestic abuse and their families, particularly if they are homeless and require urgent rehousing. We are also taking action to exempt victims of domestic abuse from local connection tests, where they apply, to ensure that there are no barriers to victims accessing social housing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response acknowledged the issue but did not provide specific measures addressing eviction notices or prioritisation despite protective orders and custody concerns.

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Q2 Iqbal Mohamed Ind Dewsbury and Batley
Housing Women & Equalities Children & Families
Context

A case over the weekend involved a pregnant woman, victim of domestic abuse, who was forced to leave her temporary accommodation by Kirklees council with no reason given.

Question

Over the weekend, I dealt with a case in which a homeless pregnant woman, who was a victim of domestic abuse, was kicked out of her temporary accommodation by Kirklees council for no real reason and left on the street. Will the Minister explain or share with this House what steps will be taken to prevent councils from turfing out pregnant women who are victims of domestic abuse on to the street?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rushanara Ali)

I would be grateful if the hon. Member could write to me about that specific case. I will follow up with him.

Not addressed: The response did not provide any concrete actions to prevent councils from kicking out pregnant women victims of domestic abuse and instead requested a written communication on the specific case.

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Q3 Marsha De Cordova Lab Battersea
Housing Women & Equalities
Context

A night shelter in Marsha De Cordova's constituency reported that many of the women who visit are fleeing domestic abuse, facing challenges to find stable and safe accommodation.

Question

I recently visited the Glass Door night shelter in my constituency to hear more about the work it is doing to alleviate homelessness. One of the things it told me was that many of the women who visit the shelter are fleeing domestic abuse. We all know the challenges if somebody is homeless: it is almost impossible to get a job, let alone to find somewhere safe and decent to live. The Minister has highlighted the investment. Can she set out a little more about the money being invested in services not only to support but to protect women fleeing domestic abuse?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rushanara Ali)

My hon. Friend will be aware that the Deputy Prime Minister is chairing an interdepartmental taskforce on homelessness and rough sleeping. A key part of our work is ensuring that we support victims of domestic abuse and violence. As I stated, we have already allocated funding to local authorities, and we will continue to work across Government to tackle the root causes of homelessness as well as violence against women.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response provided general information on taskforces but did not offer specific details about the £160 million investment or protections for women fleeing domestic abuse.

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Q4 Zöe Franklin Lib Dem Guildford
Housing Women & Equalities
Context

Councils often discharge the duty to provide safe housing by suggesting private rentals, which are frequently unaffordable or unsuitable for those on low incomes.

Question

Victims of domestic violence urgently need safe and stable accommodation. However, councils have no obligation to offer like-for-like housing. Too often, the duty is discharged by suggesting private rentals, which are frequently unaffordable or unsuitable for those on low incomes. That creates a significant barrier for many victims; it even places them in a situation where they choose not to leave, because they cannot have the housing that they need. Will the Minister further explain how she is taking steps to ensure that victims are offered genuinely safe, appropriate and affordable housing? Will she consider strengthening the statutory duty on councils to better support those fleeing domestic abuse?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rushanara Ali)

The hon. Member will be aware that there is a massive housing shortage and that there are challenges around supported housing. We need to ensure, as we are doing, that victims of domestic violence get the support they need, which is why we provided the additional uplift of £30 million, to a total of £160 million. We are working across Government to tackle the root causes of violence against women, within which work economic and housing support are crucial. I look forward to working with her and others on this very important agenda.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The response acknowledged challenges but did not provide specific actions or proposals for strengthening statutory duties on councils regarding accommodation for domestic violence victims.

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