1/ Prevent the decision to make "Zara" and her baby intentionally homeless after fleeing domestic violence and trafficking and house them in safe and suitable accommodation.
2/ Change council housing policy to better facilitate the needs of those fleeing abuse and trauma:
-This can be implemented by-
*Having an IDVA present during all face to face stages of assessment in order to mediate, safeguard and advise according to specialist knowledge
*Automatic MARAC risk assessments upon application in line with the code of guidance.
*Trauma informed specialist training in modern slavery, trafficking and domestic abuse for all front line housing needs staff.
3/ Lead by example by creating a platform for national legislation reform in support of the APPG and Crisis "A safe home" campaign to make all DV survivors automatic priority need when fleeing.
Why is this important?
About "Zara"
"Zara" is a recovering survivor of both Domestic violence and trafficking perpetrated by her daughters father. She is a British national who approached Brighton and Hove city council as homeless following the decision to flee her previous address known to her perpetrator and the trafficking ring he is affiliated with, after being turned down by refuge.
She presented with ten years worth of evidence including her perpetrators firearms convictions.
Despite all this the council have advised they wish to make "Zara" and her baby intentionally homeless. This experience is not new to her; having been intermittently homeless for ten years as a result of her experiences, perpetuated by the systemic refusal to acknowledge domestic violence as a cause of homelessness, she is a veteran of being at the receiving end of local authority discrimination, minimization, denial and eradication of what she has been thorough and thus her plight for safe housing continues.
"Zara" is not a solitary statistic. Across the board domestic violence and trafficking survivors are being denied safe housing upon fleeing. With refuges facing ever shrinking funding cuts and local authorities selling off housing stock, survivors are at the tail end of a regime that fails to address the risk posed to lives when refused the means to escape.
A drastic reform is needed of the public sector for housing, starting with BHCC who currently have the highest number of women sleeping rough nationwide.
