How do women leave if there's nowhere safe to leave to?
www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/bad-housing-kills-how-coronavirus-overwhelmed-the-uks-most-overcrowded-community/ar-BB1817eg?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=mailsignout
The link is an Independent article about dangerous slum housing - which is often all that's available to those on benefits or low incomes. Social housing is scarce in many areas leaving only private rent. Many women aren't working or part-time only because of childcare commitments, or in my case health conditions. Also, abusers often won't let us work. So we can't afford safe housing.
Women without children might not even get anything. The law is apparently changing but for now DV is not yet priority need in England (it's different in other parts of the UK). Refuges are only temporary. Where do women, especially those without children under 18, go after? DV victims without dependent children are sometimes placed in mixed sex hostels sharing facilities with violent ex offenders. Dangerous and inappropriate in itself but even more so during a pandemic. DV doesn't give immunity to coronavirus and some women will be high risk groups.
Traumatised women also need support. Services are very stretched and a postcode lottery. There's no national standard of help. Where I live it's a three week wait for a support worker. I tried to do it myself. Gave up in the end. Spoke to GP and asked for MH support. I was really struggling. There's a long waiting list. I approached local authority housing departments. Some did everything to immediately put me off. Put me on hold for ages, told me to call back to speak to someone else who was never there, passed me from pillar to post. Another one was initially nice but refused to let me apply unless I gave permission for them to contact the police to get evidence. I offered my own evidence but they insisted on police. I'm not mentally strong enough but also it wouldn't be safe for him to be arrested before I left. He'd be released after 12-24 hours and many abusers breach bail conditions. Anyway the police never saw my injuries so there's no proof from them.
There were two separate threads on Mumsnet about a month ago. Discussing private renting. Almost every landlord admitted they won't allow benefit tenants to live in their homes. Particularly without a guarantor. Rent is often higher than benefits nowadays. Which leaves only the slum housing (often in illegal state of disrepair). Gone are the days of a social security safety net.
Also refuges are often restricted for local residents only. Despite it being safer for some DV victims to move far away. I noticed the murder referred to in this thread, it was her expartner. I obviously don't know her situation but maybe she was encouraged to stay locally.
If you want women to leave abuse, campaign for safe housing for all, and well funded support services that provide the same level and standard of support nationally - no postcode restrictions.