£22 million to support domestic abuse survivors

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler has announced a £22 million funding allocation for projects across the country that support and work with domestic abuse survivors.

The £22 million Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government fund will support more than 60 projects across England over the next two years, providing over 2,200 new beds in refuges and other safe accommodation, access to education, and tailored employment and life skills guidance as survivors move towards building a safe and healthy future for themselves and their children.

Projects will be delivered by councils working alongside local organisations to help ensure that no survivor of domestic abuse is turned away from the support they need to start their new life. Among the projects to receive funding is Portsmouth & Hampshire New Approaches, which covers five local authority areas, and Norfolk County Council’s ANCHOR initiative.

Wheeler said: “Domestic abuse is a devastating crime, which shatters the lives of survivors and their families. It is our duty to ensure survivors can seek help by providing the support they need to restart their lives. Through providing specialist accommodation and access to employment, this fund will make sure local authorities and charities can provide a strong safety net for anyone facing the threat of abuse in their own home.”

The £22 million investment in support of domestic abuse survivors is an extension of the £19 million of funding announced by the government in the Summer.